' 


mm 


iii 


THE   ROBERT  E.  COWAN  COLLECTION 


PRESENTED   TO   THK 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


C.  P.  HUNTINGTON 

JUNE.  18P7. 

Hccessioi-j  No  6?f<2         Class  No 


qtLfA 


REUBEN     POTTER. 


Voice  from  the 


OR 


STELLAR  &  CELESTIAL  WORLDS 


REUBEN   POTTER. 


CARRIER  DOVE  PRINTING  AND  PUBLISHING  CO., 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 

1890. 


PREFACE. 


Nature  cannot  deal  gently  with  the  mortal  person  whom  it 
strikes  with  spiritual  lightning,  who  as  a  result  must  necessarily 
lose  his  mental  affinity  with  mortal  things — who  becomes  sim- 
ply a  magnetic  instrument  which  vibrates  to  the  thought  and 
touch  of  invisible  intelligence,  and  e\er  sensitive  to  the  phys- 
ical and  mental  presence  of  mortals — who  oftentimes  betrays 
angularities,  fancies,  desires  and  impulses  which  no  one  except 
himself  can  understand— who  must  receive  suspicious  and  in- 
sinuations of  insanity — suffer  the  loss  of  friends,  and  be  doubt- 
fully regarded  by  every  one  who  does  not  understand  the  nature 
of  his  powers.  Such  persons  are  deserving  of  sympathy,  as 
being  temporally  unfortunate  and  unenviable. 

It  is  oft  through  the  clouded  soul — bound  down  in  poverty 
r  id  toil — that  heaven's  sacred  light  shines  brightest,  and  to 
i nose  who  are  seeking  the  light,  through  the  gloomy  shadow 
which  divides  us  from  our  immortal  home,  who.  unprejudiced, 
would  listen  to  "angel  voices"  in  the  living  present  to  such,  is 
this  simple  volume  most  humbly  and  respectfully  dedicated. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  July,     1890. 


OK    CONTENTS. 
INTRODUCTION. 

I- 


LESSON  I.    Law  of  Spirit  Approach.    Affinity  for  Original  Element. 

LESSON  II.    Clairvoyance.    The  dual  form.    The  transition.    The  Duplex  Pro- 

totype. 

LESSON  III.    The  Rings  of  Saturn.    The  Stellar  Zones. 
LESSON  IV.    Celestial  Zones.    The  Spiral  Veins. 
LESSON  V.    The   Spirit  Sphere.    The  Atmosphere  of  the  Planet.     Magnetic 

Force  of  Planetary  Motion. 
LESSON  VI.    Spirit  Sphere  continued.    Grades  of  Development.    Classes  and 

Sexes. 
LESSON  VII.    Philosophy  of  Perpetual  Youth.    Relations  to  Elements.    Spirit 

Sphere  as  affected  by  blank  ethers  and  sun's  rays.    Spirit  speed.    The 

cadences.    Spiral  motion. 

LESSON  VIII.    Transition  in  Childhood.    The  Spirit  star. 
LESSON  IX.    Type. 
LESSON  X.    Why  do  Spirits  approach  mortals  ?   Evil  Spirits.    The  three  men- 

tal stages  in  human  life. 
LESSON  XI.    I  nhabil  ants  of  other  planets.    The  Crescent  Triune.    The  power 

of  imagery.  The  grand  transit.  The  Attributes  of  the  Crescent  Queens. 

The  Power  of  Thought. 

II. 


CHAPTER  I.    Male  Spiritual  degeneracy.    Causes,    Arbitrary  Natural  Laws. 
CHAP.  II.    The  Ancient  Romans,  The  lost  Adonis.  The  Surviving  Venus.  Pub- 
lic Murder  of  Woman.  The  Mysterious  Divinity  of  the  Crescent  Queens. 
CHAP.  III.    Noise  as  a  force  of  habit. 
CHAP.  IV.    Remedies.    Advice  to  males  and  females.    The  Spirit's  Prayer. 

FART  III. 

LESSON  I.    Stellar  Worlds.    Fixed  relations  of  planets  in  orbital  revolution. 

Our  only  sun—  its  immeasurable  distance  fr,  m  us,  and  immense  size. 

The  spirit  theory  of  the  sun  circle.    The  grand  plane  of  the  universe. 

The  dual  magnetic  forces  of  the  sun  and  planets.  The  Aurora  Borealis. 

the  radiation  of  the  magnetic  battery  of  the  planet,  which  is  governed 

by  the  positive  and  negative  forces  of  the  sun.    Distance  from  sun  is  .-  s 

to  magnetic  polarities.    The  satellite  in  the  planets's  magnet.  The  plan- 

et's north  polar  magnet  the  governor  of  its  regular  motion. 
LESSON  II.    The  sun  in  union  with  atmosphere  as  the  cause  of  atmospheric 

light  an  i  heat.    The  sun's  appearance.    Sun  spots.    The  spirit  suns  and 

their  duplexes. 
LESSON  III.   Comets  the  largest  bodies  iu  the  stellar  heavens,  as  diminutive  suns' 

Cause  of  meteors.    The  planet's  rotary  motion  as  the  cause  of  tides. 

Astronomical  inconsistencies. 


CONCLUSION  (in  the  first  person).  The  minioscope.  The  minimized  spirit  heavens . 
The  minioscope  a  rare  gift  of  vision  possessed  by  the  writer,  and  many 
persons  in  spirit  life.  Supplement— References  to  foregoing  lessons  and 
chapters- 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  from  a  conciousness  of  the  duty  naturally 
imposed  upon  the  person  who  possesses  spiritual 
gifts  and  truths  that  he  or  she  shall  bestow  them 
upon  those  who  are  seeking,  that  I  now  offer  the 
lessons  which  I  have  received  from  my  spirit 
teachers,  in  simple  and  plain  language.  The  urgent 
desire  of  these  teachers  and  my  sense  of  duty  are 
the  influences  which  have  effected  an  overruling 
of  determination  to  keep  my  powers  and  life  to 
myself  rather  than  become  conspicuous  in  a  spirit- 
ualistic movment  in  opposition  to  its  belief,  and  to 
face  the  ridicule  of  the  masses  of  religious  thinkers 
who  will  not  accept  the  fact  that  nature  has  any 
specialties  in  her  human  creation  through  which 
she  seeks  to  reach  from  heaven  to  earth. 

That  the  reader  may  understand  the  causes  in 
my  life  which  have  led  me  to  this  writing,  and  the 
nature  of  my  peculiar  phase,  I  will  briefly  as  possi- 
ble describe  the  beginning  of  my  development  and 
accompanying  experiences. 

It  was  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to  an  eastern 
city  and  to  the  famity  of  a  relative,  and  while  en 
gaged  in  conversation  with  a  lady  upon  religious 
and  spiritual  subjects,  that  my  form  began  to 
tremble,  while  I  felt  a  prickling  sensation  as  if  an 
electric  spray  was  being  thrown  upon  me.  I  seemed 
to  suddenly  have  become  a  combustible  substance 


INTRODUCTION. 


which  had  been  touched  by  an  electric  spark. 
My  form  seemed  to  be  under  the  control  of  a  mind 
independent  of  my  own,  and  I  was  made  to  walk 
the  floor,  at  the  same  time  my  body  was  performing 
the  most  extravagant  maneuvers.  Hour  after 
hour  passed  away,  while  there  was  no  cessation  to 
my  charged  condition,  nor  to  the  influx  of  com- 
munications written  by  my  hand,  sometimes  on 
paper  but  generally  the  hand  describing  motions 
suited  to  letters  and  words.  Night  came,  and  I  only 
awakened  from  sleep  to  find  my  hands  still  in  mo- 
tion and  my  body  still  charged  and  quivering;  but 
now  a  new  symptom  had  developed,  for  I  had  dis- 
covered that  as  my  finger  was  made  to  describe 
the  outline  of  letters  representing  words,  I  was 
beginning  to  sense  the  thought  through  my  right 
ear,  which  the  words  conveyed,  while  through 
my  vocal  organs  the  words  would  be  uttered 
audibly.  I  was  now  in  a  perfectly  normal  mental 
condition,  watching  the  progress  of  the  develop- 
ment with  increased  interest,  and  noticed  that  as 
my  finger  was  controlled  to  motion  the  forms  of 
letters,  that  I  felt  a  distinct  pulsation  or  vibra- 
tion in  my  right  ear  of  the  words  which  the  motion 
of  my  hand  would  form.  Morning  came;  then 
another  day,  and  days  and  weeks  passed  quickly 
by;  but  still  there  was  no  cessation  to  the  charged 
condition  of  my  form,  nor  the  continuous  influx  of 
communications;  and  strange  to  say,  up  to  this 
time,  through  a  period  of  four  years,  there  has 
never  been  a  moment  except  during  sleep,  that  I 
have  not^  at  will  conversed  with  my  spiritual 
visitors,  nor  a  moment  suspension  of  the  condition 
above  described  ;  neither  have  I  during  this  time, 


INTRODUCTION. 


except  on  one  occasion,  felt  the  slightest  indication 
of  the  abnormal  condition. 

My  visit  in  the  city  finished  I  took  the  train  for 
the  Pacific  Coast  via  St.  Paul,  and  while  waiting 
in  the  depot  for  the  evening  west  bound  train,  I 
experienced  several  remarkable  manifestations  dur- 
ing the  sunny  afternoon.  While  perusing  a  news- 
paper it  voluntarily  unfolded  and  remained  stretched 
out  in  the  air.  I  walked  to  the  door  leading  to  a 
street,  when  a  shower  of  pebbles  fell  at  my  feet. 
Passing  back  into  the  waiting  room  and  seating 
myself  with  my  face  towards  the  wall  in  rear  of 
the  stair-case,  my  eyes  suddenly  became  rivited 
upon  the  wall;  my  right  hand  raised,  independent 
of  my  will  power,  and  pointed  the  index  finger 
towards  a  pale,  luminous  square  about  two  feet  in 
diameter  appearing  on  the  wall  and  increasing  in 
brilliancy.  A  dark  shadow  moved  slowly  across 
it  several  times,  each  time  leaving  the  lumi- 
nous appearance  brighter  until  it  became  the 
color  of  rose  pink^  with  slight  variations  of  scarlet. 
This  luminous  ground-work  was  now  being  shaded, 
giving  representation  of  an  auditorium  and  audi- 
ence. I  had  watched  the  picture  for  one-half  hour, 
and  my  time  was  nearly  up  for  taking  the  afternoon 
train  for  the  west,  and  when  I  left  my  seat  I  walked  di- 
rectly to  the  front  of  the  picture  which  was  now 
gradually  losing  its  brightness,  and  taking  a 
farewell  look  passed  out  to  the  train,  when  I  dis- 
covered that  I  had  about  five  minutes  before  start- 
ing. I  rushed  back  into  the  sitting  room  and 
found  the  picture  still  visible,  and  as  I  resumed  my 
seat  on  the  train,  busy  with  my  thoughts  upon  the 
experiences  of  the  afternoon,  I  felt  surprised  that 


INTRODUCTION. 


no  one  beside  myself  had  noticed  it,  for  it  was  a 
strong  materialization,  and  must  have  remained 
some  time  after  I  was  far  away. 

It  was  now  night,  and  the  train  was  rolling 
rapidly  westward ;  I  had  reclined  back  in  my  seat, 
taking  a  comfortable  rest,  when  I  was  startled  by 
a  violent  pounding  on  the  window  shutters.  I 
moved  my  seat  and  the  noise  followed  me. 
The  car  was  of  the  emigrant  style,  and  taking  my 
berth  I  retired  for  the  night,  when  the  knocking 
became  more  violent  than  before.  I  now  noticed 
several  passengers  in  the  act  of  investigating  the 
strange  noises,  and  a  brakesman  had  been  called 
in  to  discover  the  cause.  The  second  day  on  the 
train,  while  reclining  in  my  berth,  two  pictures 
were  thrown  upon  the  grained  wood  work  of  the 
side  of  the  car  which  formed  my  berth,  one  a 
representation  of  a  city  in  the  heavens,  the  other 
the  same,  but  higher  up  and  further  away.  These 
pictures  were  produced  by  a  purplish-white  sub- 
stance, and  were  inerasable  for  twelve  hours, 
when  they  slowly  faded  away. 

As  I  reached  my  destination,  a  city  in  Washington 
Ter.,  I  immediately  repaired  to  the  house  of  a 
friend  were  I  planned  to  remain  until  the  next 
clay;  and  as  I  entered  the  house  I  was  sensible  of 
the  fact  that  my  peculiar  influenced  condition  was 
noticed.  My  eyes  must  have  appeared  unnatural, 
and  my  body  was  in  a  continuous  tremor,  so 
violently  was  it  charged.  In  fear  that  my  friends 
might  entertains  ome  suspicions  as  to  my  sanity, 
I  left  their  residence  taking  lodgings  in  a  hotel. 
I  had  only  seated  myself  in  the  midst  of  the  group 
of  gentlemen  surrounding  the  stove,  when  I  was 


INTRODUCTION. 


suddenly  thrown  to  my  feet  and  compelled  to 
walk  into  the  street,  when  I  was  actually  pushed 
by  hands,  which  I  distinctly  felt  underneath  my 
over-coat,  back  to  the  house  of  my  friends,  where 
I  was  given  a  room  for  the  night,  in  a  small  house 
situated  on  the  grounds  in  rear  of  the  main  resi- 
dence, and  as  I  entered,  preparatory  to  retiring, 
to  my  astonishment  the  door  quickly  flew  open 
before  I  had  touched  the  knob.  After  closing  the 
door  it  began  to  rattle  violently,  at  the  same  time 
the  window  curtains  stretched  out  as  if  blown  by 
a  strong  breeze,  while  I  noticed  that  the  windows 
were  closed,  and  the  night  was  still.  I  had  just 
retired  to  my  bed  feeling  exhausted  through  my 
long  journey,  and  in  anticipation  of  my  much 
needed  rest,  when  my  eyes  became  suddenly 
charged  with  an  electic  heat  which  became  so  in- 
tense that  I  begged  for  relief  and  rest,  when  these 
words  came  spoken  through  my  mouth.  "We 
wish  to  charge  your  vision  with  etherial  mag- 
netism in  order  that  you  may  temporaily  see  the 
forms  of  the  spiritual  beings  around  you.v  The 
night  wore  slowly  away,  and  without  sleep,  so  in- 
tense was  the  heat  in  my  eyes  which  I  could  not 
open  or  control. 

Daylight  came,  I  heard  my  friends  preparing 
breakfast,  and  I  felt  that  my  condition  must  soon 
change.  I  now  suddenly  felt  a  relief  from  the  pain 
and  control  of  the  eyes,  and  opened  them  upon  a 
group  of  immortal  beings  standing  in  my  room 
directly  before  me  in  the  bright  light  of  the 
morning.  The  forms  in  the  back-ground  were 
dim;  becoming  gradually  stronger  as  they  ap- 
proached the  front,  where  the  central  figure 


INTRODUCTION. 


stood  out  in  all  her  immortal  beauty  of  form  and 
features,  revealing  the  varied  bright  colors  of  the 
fabric  she  wore.  I  gazed  at  the  forms  during  the 
time  of  five  minutes,  with  my  normal  mortal 
senses  quickened  and  awakened,  and  watched 
them  slowly  fade  away.  As  there  was  nothing  mortal 
in  the  perfect  mould  of  features  and  peculiar  com- 
plexion and  appearance  of  the  eyes,  it  is  evident 
that  it  was  a  vision  of  actual  spirit  forms,  and  not 
the  mortalized  appearances  seen  by  the  power  of 
clairvoyance.  I  have  never  beheld  a  repetition 
of  that  vision;  for  it  is  sufficient  that  it  occurs  but 
once  in  the  life  time  of  any  spiritualized  mortal. 
The  proof  was  complete,  and  I  was  now  willing 
to  await  patiently  in  happy  expectation,  to  join 
the  spirit  group  who,  in  the  pink  freshness  of  their 
immortal  life  had  appeared  and  faded  from 
my  view. 

I  sprang  from  my  bed  and  prepared  for  the 
morning  meal,  to  which  I  had  been  summoned, 
and  as  I  sat  at  the  table  I  noticed  the  family  re- 
garding me  curiously,  and  I  devined  the  cause  to 
be  the  unnatural  appearance  of  my  eyes,  which  were 
now  painless,  although  heavily  charged.  The  fol- 
lowing night  I  retired  early,  and  from  words  ad- 
dressed to  me  by  my  invisible  friends,  I  became 
convinced  that  some  remarkable  experiment  was 
to  be  made.  I  felt  myself  powerless  to  move  my 
arms  or  body;  but  still  perfectly  normal  in  brain 
and  mind.  I  felt  entering  my  lungs  a  current  of 
very  cold  air  which  possessed  a  peculiar  aromatic 
taste.  What  does  this  mean?  I  asked  in  thought; 
when  the  answer  came,  as  asked:  "It  means  that 


INTRODUCTION. 


you  are  inhaling  ether  air.     Do  not  fear;  no  harm 
shall  come  to  you." 

Little  by  little  I  felt  my  breath  grow  weaker  and 
inspirations  shorter,  and  my  form  was  perfectly 
cold  and  rigid.  At  last  my  respiration  was  nearly 
exhausted,  and  still  my  brain  and  mind  were  per- 
fectly clear  and  conscious.  Now  came  a  suspen- 
sion of  breathiug — a  moment  of  uncousiousness. 
Then  I  felt  myself  in  motion,  and  heard  conversa- 
tion in  whispers.  My  vision  was  partially  opened, 
when  I  discerned  the  faint  outlines  of  a  distant 
city  in  the  shadowy  night,  and  still  further  on,  in 
the  dim  perspective,  some  lofty  mountains  with 
smooth,  declining  surfaces  and  oval  summits.  I 
was  watching  every  moment  of  the  progress  of 
the  experiment  with  the  most  intense  interest,  and 
my  vision  being  now  closed,  I  could  trace  the  re- 
maining portion  of  it  only  by  the  sense  of  hearing 
and  feeling.  I  realized  that  I  was  conducted  to  an 
apartment  in  a  building,  and  that  I  was  placed 
upon  a  bed  and  was  told  to  examine  it  and  see  if 
it  was  the  one  I  had  previously  lain  upon.  I  then 
reached  from  one  side  to  the  other  and  found  that 
I  could  not  touch  the  outside,  and  that  there  was 
a  spring-like  softness  which  was  decidedly  new 
to  me.  I  raised  my  right  hand  to  my  face,  and 
felt  my  features  to  be  changed,  my  eyes  larger, 
and  face  beardless.  I  now  realized  the  fact  that 
I  was  living  in  another  form;  and  as  I  became 
sensible  of  the  change,  thought  that  it  was  final, 
and  that  I  was  simply  undergoing  a  gradual  re- 
suscitation, |and  would  soon  be  able  to  rise  and 
open  my  eyes  upon  the  scenes  and  faces  around 
me;  but  I  overheard  some  conversation  in  regard 


INTRODUCTION. 


to  my  condition  being  temporary.  I  distinctly 
hear  sounds  which  were  decidedly  mortal — the 
puffing  of  a  locomotive,  and  sounds  of  animals. 
Suddenly  I  felt  an  electric  shock  in  all  the  vital 
organs;  then  followed  momentary  unconscious- 
ness then  I  felt  myself  breathing  through  my 
mortal  form  in  short  inspirations  which  gradually 
increased  in  length ;  at  the  same  time  I  began  to 
have  power  to  move  my  arms  and  body,  and,  as 
I  opened  my  eyes  day  light  was  streaming  through 
the  windows.  I  sprang  out  of  bed  feeling  great 
heat  in  the  head,  but  no  pain,  and  as  I  laised  the 
bed  covering  I  noticed  that  it  was  so  charged  with 
magnetism  that  it  would  almost  remain  in  any 
position  I  placed  it,  and  would  adhere  to  my  body 
by  force  of  magnetic  attraction.  In  washing  in 
the  cool  water,  while  in  the  act  of  bathing  my 
head,  the  water  flew  off  in  a  spray  leaving  my 
head  still  hot  and  dry.  As  I  took  my  seat  at  the 
breakfast  table  it  became  evident  that  my  friends 
were  entertaining  suspicions  as  to  my  sanity,  as 
my  face  and  eyes  betrayed  the  effects  of  the  ordeal 
I  had  passed  through,  and  withdrawing  from  the 
table  1  retired  to  the  front  parlor,  and  feeling 
weak  threw  myself  upon  a  lounge  facing  the  east 
window  where  the  morning  sun  was  beaming  a 
soft  yellow  light  which  seemed  new  to  my  senses. 
In  order  to  shut  out  the  strong  light,  which  was 
oppressive  to  my  eyes,  I  covered  them  with  a 
handkerchief  and  settled  down,  hoping  that  I 
might  fall  into  the  sleep  of  which  I  was  so  much 
in  need.  I  had  not  yet  closed  my  eyes,  and  was 
looking  through  the  white  handkerchief,  when 
suddenly  there  appeared  a  frightful  looking  face 


INTRODUCTION. 


in  close  proximity  to  my  own.  This  face  which 
proved  to  be  a  mask,  moved  slowly  to  the  left, 
disclosing  a  female  face  of  the  most  perfect  mould. 
My  attention  was  then  attracted  to  pair  of  lady's 
gloves,  which  were  lying  upon  my  breast  under- 
neath the  handkerchief;  they  were  of  a  cream 
white  color,  and  to  prove  that  my  eyes  were  not 
deceiving  me,  I  took  them  in  my  fingers,  and  upon 
turning  towards  the  face,  I  found  that  it  had  dis- 
appeared, and  one  more  glance  towards  the  gloves 
proved  that  they  also  had  vanished. 

I  rose  from  the  lounge  with  the  full  determina- 
tion to  try  and  throw  off  the  power  which  had 
now  been  with  me  continuously  for  thirty  days;  as 
my  strange  actions  were  attracting  attention,  and 
considering  the  suspicions  already  created,  I 
changed  my  quarters  to  a  neighboring  hotel.  The 
day  wras  followed  by  one  of  those  mild  autumnal 
moonlit  nights,  when  one  feels  and  sees  uthat 
charm  in  the  skies"  which  makes  that  spot 
hallowed  in  memory.  I  \\aswalking  to  and  fro 
outside,  and  in  front  of  my  hotel,  now  and  then 
casting  a  glance  at  the  sky.  The  moon  was  shin- 
ing dimly  through  a  line  of  broken,  fleecy  clouds, 
and  in  a  deep  blue  space  Jupiter  was  seen  in  his 
golden  splendor.  My  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the 
planet,  when  there  appeared  in  the  region  of  the 
broken  clouds,  a  square  of  darkened  atmosphere, 
and  in  the  centre  of  this  square  stood  a  group  of 
spiritual  beings,  forming  a  perfect  arch,  the  tallest 
occupying  the  centre  of  the  group.  I  gazed  with 
astonishment  at  this  approaching  group  for  a 
moment,  when  a  sort  of  height-sense  or  faintness 


UNIVERSITY 


INTRODUCTION. 


overcame  me,  and  I  turned  away  my  eyes;  but 
upon  recovering  courage  to  look  the  second  time, 
nothing  could  be  seen  except  the  silvery  line  of 
clouds. 

I  have  witnessed  many  moonlit  nights  since, 
which  recalled  to  mind  the  vision  of  that,  to  me, 
sacred  night;  but  have  never  witnessed  a  repeti- 
tion of  that  scene.  It  was  one  of  those  special 
conditions  in  my  changing  development  and  ex- 
periences which  enabled  me  to  sense  the  reality  of 
our  glorious  immortality,  and  a  manifestation  for 
which  only  one  opportunity  could  be  oftered. 

The  square  appeared  so  far  away  that  the  forms 
could  only  be  seen  in  white  outline;  yet  it  was  to 
me  a  curious  fact  that  they  appeared  life  size,  and 
upon  asking  the  question  I  was  told  that  I  saw  the 
group  with  the  temporary  and  partial  sense  of  ac- 
tual spirit  vision,  which  seems  to  diverge  in  view- 
ing objects  at  a  distance,  and  in  proportion  to  the 
distance  in  which  an  object  recedes  it  appears  less 
distinct  but  greater  in  outline. 

I  now  entered  the  hotel  and  calling  for  my  room, 
was  given  an  apartment  and  bed  with  a  strange 
gentleman,  whom  I  found  snoring  in  sound  slum- 
ber. I  quickly  threw  myself  by  the  side  of  the 
stranger,  and  was  soon  in  the  sleep  I  much  needed. 
In  the  dead  of  the  night  I  was  awakened  by  hear- 
ing a  clear  baritone  voice  singing,  as  it  seemed  at 
a  distance  from  the  house,  and  as  I  was  intent 
upon  listening,  it  approached  me  until  it  sang  out 
strong  in  my  room,  and  as  it  came  near  to  me,  I 
felt  the  vocal  utterance.  Then  the  voice  receded 
in  its  song  until  it  could  be  scarcely  heard  in  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


distance,  which  seemed  many  blocks  away  in  the 
sleeping  city.  Again  it  advanced  until  once  more 
the  song  and  words  sounded  out  in  my  presence 
with  the  same  effect  in  my  vocal  organs.  My 
companion  in  bed  was  awakened  from  his  slumber 
raised  up  listened  and  commented  upon  it.  Now 
I  knew  that  my  ears  were  not  the  only  ones 
greeted  by  this  wandering  voice  which  was  again 
receding,  becoming  faint  and  fainter  until  it  died 
softly  away  in  the  midnight  air. 

The  pure  melody  and  sentiment  of  the  song 
overcame  me,  and  I  sank  on  my  pillow  in  a  gush 
of  tears.  How  far  that  melodious  voice  traveled, 
or  how  many  were  its  listeners,  ma)7  never  be 
known  on  earth.  It  was  the  crowning  manifesta- 
tion in  my  experiences  of  that  memorable  night. 
It  was  the  voice  of  a  heavenly  singer  pouring  out 
his  soul  in  song  of  the  sweet  home  from  which  he 
had  wandered. 

I  will  now  pass  quickly  over  the  few  following 
weeks,  during  which  the  development  was  chang- 
ing. There  were  no  more  sounds,  and  my  eyes 
were  becoming  more  natural,  or  the  peculiar  ef- 
fect produced  upon  the  mind  by  the  visible  things 
around  me  was  gradually  diminishing.  It  will  be 
unnecessary  for  me  to  mention  in  detail  the  vari- 
ety of  demonstrations  and  the  constant  run  of  con- 
versation through  myself,  involving  questions,  an- 
swers and  explanations,  as  it  would  overtax  the 
reader  who  only  desires  spiritual  knowledge  and 
not  manifestations. 

I  rose  from  my  bed  late  in  the  morning  with 
the  effect  of  the  singing  voice  on  my  mind.  As  I 


INTRODUCTION. 


began  to  wash  my  face  and  head  the  water  fle^r 
off  in  a  spray,  as  on  a  previous  occasion.  As  tl.v, 
morning  was  quite  cold  I  proceeded  to  don  my 
overcoat,  and  while  in  the  act,  was  compelled  to 
turn  towards  the  bed,  where  I  observed  a  strange 
coat  of  about  the  same  color  and  fabric  as  the 
gloves  before  mentioned,  except  perhaps  a  little 
darker  in  shade,  having  a  very  wide  collar;  which 
was  trimmed  and  traced  with  a  figure  in  lighter  color 
resembling  a  vine  and  leaves.  The  coat  seemed  to 
be  of  uncommon  length,  and  so  very  desirable 
that  I  decided  to  make  an  immediate  change.  I 
had  no  sooner  removed  my  overcoat  and  turned 
towards  the  bed,  when  to  my  astonishment  I 
found  the  garment  which  so  suited  my  fancy  had 
disappeared. 

In  accordance  with  my  plans,  I  boarded  the 
evening  train  en  route  via  Portland, Oregon,to  San 
Francisco.  The  following  morning  dawned  clear, 
with  bright  sunlight  shining  through  the  car  window. 
I  was  reclining  in  my  seat,  observing  in  the  distance 
a  chain  of  snow-capped  mountains,  when  I  began  tc 
feel  a  return  of  the  burning  sensation  in  my  eyes,  and 
became  powerless  to  open  them;  nor  could  I  move 
from  my  reclining  position,  although  my  brainaiu. 
mind  were  not  in  the  least  affected.  For  the  time 
of  an  hour  or  more  this  pressure  upon  the  eyes 
continued  accompanied  with  intense  heat  through 
my  entire  body.  Finally  I  felt  my  eyelids  open 
sufficient  to  admit  a  very  dim  light,  as  though  hu- 
man fingers,  not  my  own,  were  slowly  lifting  them, 
until  my  open  vision  rested  upon  the  form  of  a 
lady  standing  in  the  air,  about  ten  feet  outside  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  car  window,  in  the  full  glare  of  the  morning 
'plight.  Her  form  was  of  medium  height,showing 
part  of  the  neck  and  the  full  form  to  the  feet, 
which  were  seen  beneath  the '  skirt  of  her  dress. 
The  arms  were  bare  and  beautifully  rounded. 
From  my  reclining  position,  the  woodwork  of  the 
car  above  the  window,  obscured  my  view  of  the 
head  and  face,  and  I  was  unable  to  move  from  my 
position,  in  order  that  I  might  see  her  face.  The 
dress  fitted  the  bust  very  smoothly,  and  was  gath- 
ered in  numerous  points  at  the  waist,  falling  from 
the  gathered  points  in  regular  folds  to  the  feet. 

The  fabric  was  pearl  white,  and  possessed  the 
lustre  of  genuine  pearl,  only  having  a  much 
brighter  appearance.  The  form  stood  a  little 
sidewise,  and,  as  her  right  arm  was  extended,  I 
noticed  a  blue  line,  apparantly  an  inch  in  width, 
extending  down  its  inner  surface  to  the  wrist  and 
palm  of  the  hand,  and  upon  asking  the  cause  of 
the  blue  appearance,  was  told  that  it  was  the 
effect  of  the  atmosphere. 

My  eyes  were  slowly  closed  while  the  form  re- 
rmained  before  me,  and  gradually  the  burning 
'sensation  subsided,  and  I  was  at  liberty  to  move 
jrom  my  position,  and  open  my  eyes,  and  as  I  did 
so  found  that  the  spirit  had  disappeared. 

This  was  the  culmination  of  a  succession  of 
spiritual  visions  and  experiences -which  had  run 
through  long  weeks,  of  which  no  mortal  except 
myself  can  ever  know  or  appreciate. 

The  visible  appearances  and  sounds  about  me 
have  long  ago  ceased;  but  the  facility  for  conver- 
sation with  personages  of  the  spiritual  life  has 


INTRODUCTION. 


been  constantly  gaining,  and  has  resulted  in  the 
asking  of  many  questions  which  have  been  an- 
swered in  plain  English — no  brain  impressions — 
no  symbols  or  trances;  but  plain  unmistakable 
language  which  comes  through  my  ears  and  vocal 
organs  as  if  I  were  a  speaking  telephone. 

The  effect  of  these  conversations  has  been  to 
relieve  my  mind  of  many  erroneous  impressions 
regarding  our  spiritual  life,  and  it  is  my  purpose 
in  this  volume  to  give  the  lessons  which  I  have 
received,  very  much  in  the  manner  in  which  the 
questions  have  been  asked  and  answered, 

The  simple  fact  of  it  is,  the  spirit  stands  in  my 
presence  and  speaks,  when  I  simply  remain  pas- 
sive while  my  own  organs  are  used  in  conversa- 
tion with  myself  and  others,  in  the  style  peculiar 
to  the  invisible  speakers,  and  as  the  influx  of 
thought  is  not  dependent  upon  the  personal  pres- 
ence of  the  spirit,  but  frequently  received  from 
great  distances,  it  then  becomes  evident  that  I  am 
able  to  converse  with  the  spirit  in  his  perfect  nor- 
mal condition.  This  being  the  case,  the  lessons 
received  must  be  of  the  most  vital  importance, 
particularly  the  revelations  regarding  my  own  sex 
should  be  considered  in  a  very  serious  light.  I  do 
not  seek  public  notoriety, but  simply  desire  to  open 
the  fountain  within  my  life  and  powers,  that 
others  may  drink  as  I  have  drank  of  the  truths 
which  speak  of  the  reality  and  joys  of  heaven. 

It  is  the  desire  of  our  spirit  teachers  that  we 
shall  understand  the  relations  existing  between 
mortality  and  immortality  in  causes  and  effects; 
and  that  such  an  understanding  may  be  reached 
will  be  the  effort  and  aim  in  the  revelations  here- 
in contained. 


A  Voice  from  the  Heavens 

—OR 

STELLAR  AND  CELESTIAL  WORLDS, 

LESSON  I. 


OR    SPIRIT   APPROACH. 


Q. — In  what  manner  shall  I  write  your  answers? 

A. — We  desire  that  you  write  our  answers  in  simple  com- 
prehensive terms,  avoiding  all  supurfluous  words,  and  adopting 
the  simplest  form  of  speech  possible  in  which  to  convey  our 
meanings;  for  all  that  we  possess  in  knowledge  is  demonstra- 
ble in  simple  words,  and  beyond  what  we  do  not  know  we  do 
not  attempt  to  explain. 

Q. — What  is  the  nature  of  the  approach  of  spiritual  beings 
to  mortals? 

A. — The  basis  of  spirit  approach  is  magnetism  in  various 
degrees  of  visible  appearance  and  attractive  power  of  the  mor- 
tal person,  who  in  nearly  all  cases  is  rendered  partially  or  to- 
tally abnormal  in  the  approach  and  presence  of-  the  spiritual 
person,  who  in  turn  takes  on  the  mortalized  or  physical  con- 
dition through  which  he  becomes  reinstated  in  the  sense  of 
mortal  vision  and  the  possession  of  mortal  memories ;  the  for- 
mer which  he  does  not  possess  at  all  and  the  latter  but  par- 
tially in  his  natural  life  in  spirit.  I  use  the  term  'spirit  in  the 
sense  that  you  would  use  the  term  matter  or  mortality. 


A   VOICE    FROM   THE    HEAVENS 


Q. — Will  you  describe  the  nature  of  the  law  which  governs 
spirit  approach  to  mortals? 

A. — The  spirit  form  never  loses  its  attraction  and  affinity 
for  original  elements  when  immediate  approach  is  made  to 
such  elements  ;  for  such  is  the  law  governing  his  approach  that 
he  affinitizes  with  his  original  element  just  in  proportion  to 
the  attractive  power  which  brings  him  in  contact  with  the  mor- 
tal person  or  medium,  when  he  regains  possession  of  original 
faculties  and  individual  characteristics,  and  his  relation  to 
himself  as  a  normal  spiritual  being  is  simply  unconciousness, 
through  which  he  seldom  remembers  the  words  he  has  spoken, 
or  the  mortal  faces  he  has  seen,  upon  his  return  to  his  spirit- 
ual normal  condition  ;  neither  does  he  while  in  his  mortalized  . 
condition  but  partially  manifest  the  intellectual  progress  which 
the  spiritual  state  has  made  upon  his  mind. 

It  is  well  to  know  that  in  any  phase  of  spirit  manifestation 
it  is  an  exemplification  of  the  law  governing  approach,  and 
not  the  work  of  any  spiritual  person,  and  when  approach  is 
made  and  condition  established,  the  spiri:  has  not  the  will 
power  to  overcome  it,  for  the  law  will  hold  him  until  his  tem- 
porary condition  is  exhausted,  when  he  involuntarily  becomes 
normal. 

Retention  in  the  mortalized  state  varies  in  proportion  to  the 
attractive  power  of  the  mortal  person  and  the  personal  power 
of  the  spirit. 

Q. — What  are  the  visible  indications  or  landmarks  by  which 
the  mediumistic  condition  is  discerned,  and  what  is  the  nature 
of  the  contact  in  or  with  such  condition  ? 

A. — As  mortal  senses  are  strictly  limited  to  the  mortal  or 
physical  condition,  so  are  the  corresponding  senses  of  the 
spirit  person  in  his  native  and  normal  condition  strictly  lim- 
ited to  the  spiritual  state,  and  no  material  planet  or  body,  or 
anything  contained  on  such  body  or  planet,  can  be  visible  to 
the  spiritual  being  in  his  normal  condition,  and  no  human 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


form  in  mortal  life  can  be  seen  by  him  only  as  he  puts 
himself  en  rapport  with  a  mortal  being,  or  beings,  when  he 
takes  back  his  original  sense  of  vision. 

You  have  been  told  that  the  basis  of  spirit  motion  and  ap- 
proach is  magnetism.  The  objective  point  of  attraction  to 
the  mortal  state  is  a  conical  shaped  luminous  appearance, 
which  varies  in  magnetic  attractive  power  and  brilliancy  in 
different  beings  which  it  surrounds.  This  magnetic  light  is  com- 
monly termed  'the  cone]  by  some  the  'aura]  and  is  frequently 
referred  to  as  the  'aureliaj  from  the  fact  that  it  is  really  the 
chrysalis  of  the  sphere,  and  becomes  visible  in  all  mortals  imme- 
diately before  transition.  I  desire  to  approach  the  mortal 
condition.  I  simply,  by  means  known  to  myself,  establish  a 
magnectic  connection  with  this  appearance, — which  is  termed 
the  'en  rapporf  or  'making  ground.'  This  is  the  condition 
which  is  visible  to  the  approaching  spirit,  who  approaches  the 
same  with  the  results  above  described. 

The  contact  of  the  spirit  person  with  the  mortal  or  medium, 
is  an  illustration  of  the  law  of  magnetic  attraction  and  repul- 
sion ;  or  in  this  case  propulsion.  He  stands  to  the  right  side  of 
the  medium — he  raises  his  hand,  and  the  magnetic  circuit, 
which  is  established  between  himself  and  the  medium,  com- 
pels the  same  motion  on  the  part  of  the  medium,  providing 
he  is  sufficiently  powerful  as  a  magnet  to  conduct  such  mo- 
tion. If  the  spirit  person  speaks,  and  the  thought  circuit  is 
established  between  his  own  and  the  medium's  brain  and 
mind,  he  will  be  impelled  to  mentally  receive  or  audibly  ex- 
press the  spirit's  thoughts. 

In  all  cases  of  what  you  term  "physical  phenomena"  the  na- 
ture of  the  aura  and  special  atmospheric  condition  surround- 
ing that  class  of  persons  is  such  as  gives  the  spirit  stronger 
affinity  with]  original  element,  in  varying  degrees  of  attractive 
power  of  such  condition,  with  varying  degrees  of  visibility  to 
mortals. 


A   VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 


Q. — Is  it  true  that  the  manifestations  produced  in  any  of 
the  present  known  phases  can  also  be  produced  from  a  dis- 
tance in  space  ? 

A. — In  all  cases  mental  and  physical  effects  absolutely  re- 
quire the  immediate  presence  of  the  spiritual  person ;  for 
when  he  returns  outside  of  the  special  atmospheric  condition, 
and  magnetic  radius,  the  curtain  drops,  so  to  speak,  upon 
mortal  sounds  and  sights;  neither  does  he  catch  the  least 
thought-vibration  from  the  condition  he  has  left,  where  in  his 
mortalized  state  he  was  able  to  read  the  thoughts  emanating 
from  the  mortal  minds  about  him  ;  for  he  was  then  in  the 
connection  known  as  the  mortal  thought  circuit,  which  con- 
nection is  severed  the  moment  he  passes  involuntarily  out  of 
influence. 

Q. — How  is  the  mortalized  spirit  in  thought  and  visible 
relation  to  spirit  persons  in  their  normal  condition  ? 

A. — He  is  insensible  to  their  thought  and  external  pres- 
ence, while  they  are  sensible  to  his  thought  ;*  and  in  all  cases 
he  becomes  invisible  to  the  normal  spirit  person  just  in  pro- 
portion as  he  becomes  physical  or  material  to  the  vision  of 
mortals ;  but  his  position  is  always  indicated  to  the  vision  of 
outside  normal  spirits  by  his  sphere,  it  being  a  spiritual  attri- 
bute which  does  not  change  or  blend  with  mortal  magnetism, 
although  it  is  attracted  by  the  same. 

It  must  be^understood  that  too  much  confidence  should  not 
be  placed  in  what  ^spirit-persons  say  in  the  presence  of  me- 
diums ;  for  in  all  cases  they  take  on  the  thoughts  of  the  'mor- 
tals around  them,  and  often  do  and  say  things,  through  sym- 
pathy with  the  person  or  persons  present,  which  they  would 
refrain  from  saying  or  doing  in  their  normal  Condition. 

Mortals  should  consider  that  in  their  approach  to  mediums, 
in  nearly  all  cases,  the  spirits  are  but  little  mentally  exalted 
above  the  mortal  conditions  and  persons. 

*    They  are  sensible  to  his  thought  when  it  is  especially  directed  to  them. 


OR  STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


So  powerfully  does  this  law  govern  the  spiritual  person  in 
his  approach  to  mediums,  by  a  perfect  reinstatement  of  origi- 
nal appearance  and  faculties,  that  in  many  instances  he  will 
remember  persons  and  names  and  circumstances  that  had 
quite  gone  out  of  his  memory  in  his  true  spiritual  state. 

It  must  be  known  that  there  can  be  no  absolutely  pure  in- 
spiration or  communication  from  spirit  to  mortality  through 
any  phase  of  abnormal  condition  of  individual  medium  and 
spirit.  Much  good  and  useful  knowledge  may  be  thus  re- 
ceived ;  but  you  must  allow  for  a  great  amount  of  vagary  and 
misconception  in  such  literary  and  oral  work. 

It  is  important  that  you  should  know  that  as  the  personal 
spirit  stands  in  the  presence  of  the  mortal  medium,  his  brain 
and  mind  becomes  the  positive  pole  of  the  magnet  which 
is  in  connection  with  the  brain  of  the  medium  or  others, 
through  what  we  term  the  thought  circuit,  and  in  this  relation 
and  connection  he  receives  the  thoughts  emanating  from  per- 
sons who  are  in  contact  with  the  medium,  while  the  medium 
may  be  either  partially  or  entirely  abnormal.  This  being 
tru%  you  can  easily  see  how  the  spirit  person's  thought  voli- 
tion may  be  much  affected  by  the  thoughts  of  mortals  in 
whose  presence  he  endeavors  to  speak. 

A  distinct  thought  expressive  of  a  word  or  sentiment  is 
termed  by  us  a  thought  wave  or  a  thought  vibration,  and 
commonly  termed  a  thought  pulsation,  from  the  peculiar  ef- 
fect with  which  each  thought  is  received  through  the  sense  of 
hearing  in  a  slight  wave-like  magnetic  pulsation  which  pro- 
duces the  word  even  if  spoken  at  a  distance,  and  the  repeti- 
tion of  a  thought,  true  to  natural  quality  of  voice  inflection, 
stress  and  sentiment. 

This  law  in  high  spiritual  life  is  exemplified  in  the  power  of 
individuals  possessing  average  spiritual  attributes  to  transmit 
vocal  utterances  through  many  miles  of  space,  and  thought 
through  very  great  distances,  by  simple  thought  volition  when 


A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


mental  connection  is  established. 

Q. — Is  there  any  illustration  of  this  law  in  mortal  life? 

A. — There  are  partial  illustrations  in  various  degrees  of 
power  possessed  by  persons  who  feel  the  circuit  established 
between  themselves  and  others  who  are  made  special  subjects, 
ami  by  transmitting  thought  by  simple  will  power  they  dis- 
turb the  mental  equilibrium  or  thought  volition  of  the  sub- 
ject whose  brain  or  mind  simply  becomes  the  mirror,  which 
reflects  the  thought  imagery  of  the  positive  mental  power, 
which  has  at  will  become  the  sender  of  thought  through  the 
brain  and  mind  of  the  subject,  who  has  become  the  con- 
ductor. 

Then  again,  by  possessing  great  magnetic  attractive  power 
of  mind  and  brain,  a  person  may  be  able  to  tell  the  thoughts 
of  others  to  some  extent,  but  in  either  case  it  is  an  illustration 
of  the  thought  circuit  in  sending  or  receiving  thought;  while 
the  personal  spirit  receives  thought  in  the  manner  described 
through  the  sense  of  hearing,  and  while  he  stands  in  the  pres- 
ence of  mortals  he  becomes  both  receiver  and  sender. 

Q. — In  respect  to  approach  to  mortals  how  does  your  in- 
terrogator, as  a  medium,  differ  from  others? 

A. — In  as  much  as  your  spiritual  sphere  became  partially 
developed  when  our  approach  to  you  was  rendered  as  normal 
and  our  communication  as  uninterrupted  as  though  you  had 
been  an  immortal  spirit;  with  this  exception,  that  the  vocal 
utterances  of  the  spirit  person  are  effected  through  your  own 
vocal  organs;  but  you  are  subject  to  the  spiritual  law  in  re- 
ceiving thought  vibration  from  the  immediate  presence  of 
he  spirit  person,  or  from  great  distances.  In  truth,  you  have 
developed  a  continuous  thought  circuit  with  spirit,  which  is 
not  dependent  upon  special  induced  conditions  or  personal 
presence. 


OR    STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


LESSON  II. 


Q. — What  is  the  nature  of  the  spirit  vision,  possessed  by 
some  persons,  which  is  termed  clairvoyance? 

A. — A  sympathy  or  affinity  of  the  mortalized  spirit  person 
with  the  mortal  person,  through  whose  aura  and  atmospheric 
envelope  he  principally  attracts  his  original  element,  thereby 
temporarily  effecting  direct  circuit  of  vision  in  that  person  for 
himself  and  other  spirit  persons  present. 

This  must  not  be  considered  as  true  spiritual  vision,  01  in 
any  case  a  representation  of  the  personal  spirit  in  his  natural 
state,  for  in  all  cases  it  is  simply  a  'take-ba~k'  to  original  form 
through  attraction  to  the  spirit  form  of  original  element  while 
it  is  true  that  the  spirit  person  very  rarely  carries  with  him  or 
her  into  the  immortal  life  a  single  trace  of  the  original  type. 

Mortals  should  attach  importance  to  such  manifestations 
only  so  far  as  the  persons  unmistakably  prove  their  identity 
and  establish  the  truth  of  the  Heavenly  life,  where  nature  per- 
fects every  human  being  in  beauty  of  form  and  features  just 
in  proportion  to  his  or  her  spiritual  refinement,  and  in  this 
perfected  state  of  being  they  can  not  in  reality  be  seen  by 
mortal  vision. 

Q. — What  was  the  nature  of  the  vision  by  which  I  was  en- 
abled to  see  the  group  appearing  in  my  room  as  well  as 
the  female  form  standing  outside  of  the  car  window? 

A. — The  transition  which  you  had  previously  made  men- 
tally in  connection  with  your  spiritual  form  had  quickened 
your  spiritual  sense  of  vision,  and  you  saw  the  persons  appear- 
ing true  to  their  spirit  types,  with  the  exception  of  the  unnat- 
ural colorless  appearance  of  the  features  and  arms,  a  change 
which  affects  all  spiritual  persons  when  entering  atmosphere 
from  their  native  ethers ;  for  the  atmosphere  not  only  robs 
the  features  and  form  of  its  immortal  bloom,  but  also  absorbs 
to  some  extent  the  bright  colors  of  fabrics  which  may  be  worn. 


A   VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 


but  upon  the  person's  return  to  the  ethers,  the  complexion  and 
colors  are  restored  ;  but  these  effects  have  reference  to  approach 
outside  and  independent  of  mortal  conditions. 

It  must  be  understood  that  there  is  no  affinity  between  mor- 
tal and  immortal  senses  pertaining  to  individuals.  There  is 
a  distinct  v'.tal  principle  in  things  mortal  or  spiritual  through 
which  the  mind  senses  visible  form  and  color,  and  this  consti- 
tutes the  mirror  in  which  objects  are  reflected,  and  the  mortal 
quality  of  the  mirror  can  only  reflect  mortal  things,  and  the 
spiritual  quality  of  the  same  can  only  reflect  spiritual  things  ; 
for  the  element  in  which  we  exist,  respectively  as  mortals  or 
immortals,  charges  the  mind,  through  the  nervous  system  of 
the  form,  with  visible  things  belonging  only  to  itself.  Hence 
it  is  impossible  for  an  immortal  being  in  any  proximity  to 
mortality,  where  he  does  not  take  back  mortal  senses,  to  hear, 
feel,  or  see  anything  that  is  mortal. 

It  is  common  for  us  to  speak  of  the  two  vital  elements  as 
the  "etherial  magnetism''  as  pertaining  to  spirit,  and  the  mor- 
tal magnetism  as  pertaining  to  mortality. 

Invisibility  to  the  spiritual  senses  of  physical  bodies  and 
persons,  and  things  belonging  to  the  same,  is  the  cause  of  the 
intangible  and  unrealistic  feeling  in  which  many  spirit  persons 
regard  their  prior  mortal  life,  as  the  circumstances  of  their 
transition — they  being  of  tender  age  or  weak  in  spiritual  vital- 
ity— rendered  them  oblivious  to  the  past. 

Q. — Will  you  explain  more  fully  the  nature  of  the  tempo- 
rary transition  which  I  seemed  to  mentally  and  bodily  pass 
through  ? 

A. — As  there  was  no  complete  separation  between  your 
mortal  and  spirit  forms,  the  former  not  being  devitalized,  you 
were  able  to  hear  mortal  sounds — conversation  or  footsteps — 
n  the  presence  of  your  mortal  form,  which  being  in  magnetic 
connection  with  the  dual  spirit  form,  it  served  the  simple  pur- 
pose of  receiving  and  transmitting  sounds  in  its  presence  to 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


the  spirit  form  which  was  at  the  time  several  thousand  miles 
outward  from  the  earth,  while  if  your  mortal  form  had  been 
devitalized,  and  your  transition  had  really  taken  place,  you 
would  have  been  in  temporary  retention  of  the  mortal  sense 
of  vision,  but  not  of  hearing.  Your  mind  would  retain  the 
impression  of  the  appearance  of  the  room  you  had  occupied, 
as  well  as  the  faces  of  the  mortal  persons  present,  while  your 
transition  had  been  made  instantly  to  spiritual  conditions 
through  many  miles  of  space. 

Retention  of  mortal  impressions  to  the  senses  of  the  new- 
born spirit  person  varies  in  duration  of  time  in  different  per- 
sons, and  this  is  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  Divine  law  gov- 
erning our  being,  that  would  unfold  in  slow  approaches  to  our 
new  and  tender  senses  the  unspeakable  glory  and  beauty  of 
our  Heavenlv  home. 

The  simple  cause  of  your  temporary  spiritual  state  was  the 
partial  development  of  your  sphere,  by  which  your  spirit  form 
became  attracted  by  the  departing  group  who  had  been  in 
your  presence. 

Q. — Will  you  explain  your  meaning  by  "  Dual  Form?  " 

A. — By  the  dual  form  we  mean  the  actual  dual  or  double 
in  which  every  human  being  is  created,  and  just  how  far  down 
the  scale  form  is  dualized  it  is  not  our  purpose  in  these  les- 
sons, if  we  know,  to  disclose ;  for  it  is  only  those  lessons 
which  you  need  that  we  shall  take  time  or  pains  to  -teach. 

We  desire  you  to  understand  that  the  spirit  form  is  not  an 
outgrowth  or  development  of  form  issuing  from  the  devital- 
ized mortal  form,  nor  even  a  counterpart  or  duplicate  of  the 
same ;  but  a  separate  and  distinct  form  in  itself,  of  which  the 
mortal  is  but  the  reflection  in  all  that  is  perfect  in  symmetry 
of  form  and  beauty  of  features. 

The  spirit  form — or  we  may  say  dual  form  for  the  sake  of 
a  name  or  distinction  between  the  two — in  its  connection  with 
the  mortal  can  be  seen  by  immortal  beings  of  high  degree, 


IO  A    VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 

who  possess  superior  penetration  of  vision,  who,  by  making 
certain  approaches  and  by  certain  means  of  observation  known 
to  themselves,  can  observe  the  spirit  dual  form  when  they 
cannot  see  the  mortal,  and  by  this  means  can  discover  the 
exact  spirit  type  belonging  ;o  the  mortal  personage. 

The  dual  form  is  always  seen  close  to  the  right  side  of  the 
mortal,  but  never  connected,  and  always  corresponds  in  posi- 
tion as  well  as  function,  and  is  as  much  the  original  form  as 
is  its  twin  mortal  companion.  It  is  by  some  spirit  persons 
termed  "the  shell"  from  its  dead-like  appearance;  but  not 
transparent,  and  in  all  cases  shows  the  exact  spirit  form  and 
features,  and  indicates  the  degree  of  progress  made  in  powers 
and  type. 

There  is  mystery  associated  with  the  dual  or  spirit  form 
while  it  is  connected  to  the  living  and  healthy  mortal — a  phe- 
nomenon which  is  as  inexplicable  as  it  is  true.  I  refer  to 
what  we  term  the  duplex  prototype,  which  is  the  spirit  form 
belonging  to  the  mortal  appearing  and  suddenly  disappearing 
at  a  distance  from  its  companion,  and  in  such  appearance  it 
presents  a  perfect  duplicate  even  to  clothes  worn  at  the  time 
by  the  mortal  form.  This  phenomenon  is  well  known  through 
actual  experiences  of  many  mortal  as  well  as  spirit  persons,  (*) 
and  serves  as  an  illustration  of  the  power  and  vitality  of  the 
spirit  form.  The  mystery,  through  the  law  governing  such 
appearances,  as  well  as  effects  produced  upon  the  person  of 
the  immortal  spirit  upon  his  approach  to'mortality,  must  al- 
ways remain  inpenstrable  to  the  highest  spiritual  being. 

Q. — It  is  not  true  then^that  the  "new-born  spirit  develops 
on  the  mortal  plane  ? 

A. — The  change  to  spirit  is  instantaneous,  for  no  sooner 
has  the  mortal  form  become  devitalized  than  the  spirit  form  is 

*  The  writer  has  witnessed  two  such  appearances,  when  the  forms  were  seen  at  differ- 
ent times,  and  under  different  circumstances,  and  on  each  occasion  were  taken  for  the  moi- 
tal  persons,  anl  only  by  their  su  Iden  disappearance  was  he  made  aware  of  his  mistake  and 
of  the  nature  of  the  phenomenon. 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


attracted  to  certain  spirit  conditions  where  it  immediately  ma- 
terializes, so  to  speak,  or  afrmitizes  with  its  own  elerrent,  and 
instantly  becomes  vitalized  with  corresponding  nerve  force,  or 
sensation  which  previously  vitalized  and  animated  the  mortal 
form,  and  stands  up  in  its  individuality,  a  human  being  still; 
the  concentration  and  perfection  in  single  through  the  combi- 
nation of  dual. 

The  divine  law  of  nature  which  organizes  us  as  human  be- 
ings never  drops  a  note  or  interval  in  the  music  of  our  exist- 
ence. The  mortal  heart  ceases  to  beat,  but  the  correspond- 
ing heart  of  the  risen  spirit  form  takes  up  the  beat  in  the 
measure  of  life  without  a  rest  or  retard  in  the  sacred  theme. 

Nature,  in  her  mysterious  work  in  the  transition,  is  as  quick 
as  she  is  certain.  In  one  instant  of  time  the  vital  spark  of 
life  in  the  mortal  form  has  vanished,  and  in  the  same  moment 
the  risen  spirit  form  treads  triumphantly  on  spirit  ground, 
where  nature  has  finished  him  as  an  individual  to  the  best 
of  her  ability  through  the  circumstances  of  birth  and  growth. 

Q. — is  the  dual  or  spirit  form,  while  connected  to  the 
mortal,  governed  the  same  as  the  immortal  spirit  in  its  contact 
with  material  substances,  and  what  is  the  nature  of  approach 
through  contact  with  such  substances  ? 

A. — It  is  precisely  the  same.  This  is  another  mystery  as- 
sociated with  the  spirit  approach  to  mortal  and  material  sub- 
stances of  which  we  can  offer  you  no  explanation,  except  that 
solid  substances  belonging  to  mortal  conditions  are  porous, 
invisible,  and  intangibh,  and  that  the  magnetic  visible  condi- 
tion is  always  reached  regardless  of  surroundings,  inclosures, 
or  any  mortal  substances,  which  the  approaching  spirit  does 
not  sense  only  through  mortalized  vision. 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


LESSON  III. 
SATURN'S    RINGS.    THE:   QTICLI^AR  ZONES. 


This  lesson  (like  some  following)  is  introduced  with  re- 
marks by  the  controlling  spirit. 

"That  you  may  be  able,  through  these  lessons,  to  fully  com- 
prehend the  life  of  the  personal  spirit  in  the  exercise  of  his 
powers,  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  know  the  location  and 
formation  of  the  spirit .  zones — their  connection  with  your 
planet,  and  relation  to  the  same. 

There  is  no  better  illustration  that  I  may  give  you  of  the 
planetary  spirit  zones  than  to  refer  you  to  the  planet  known 
as  Saturn  with  its  two  material  zones.  A  view  of  that  planet 
will  give  you  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  formation  of  the  spirit 
zones  (with  exception  of  comparative  size)  which  surround 
every  planet  precisely  in  the  same  manner,  and  could  they  be 
seen  in  connection  with  the  planet,  by  mortal  eyes,  they  would 
present  about  the  same  appearance,  being  on  a  plain  with  the 
quatorial  line. 

The  planet  Saturn  is  the  only  exception  in  the  physical 
universe  where  the  law  governing  the  formation  of  bodies  in 
the  planetary  material  outline  tends  to  form  the  sphere,  or 
ball ;  and  is  the  only  infringement,  so  to  speak,  upon  the  law 
governing  formation  in  the  spirit  outline  of  matter,  which 
tends  to  form  rings  or  zones. 

Q. — Can  you  account  for  such  a  singular  variation? 

A. — We  offer  this  explanation  of  this  exceptional  physical 
imitation  of  spirit  formation,  namely,  that  the  zones  of  Saturn 
are  in  structure  of  soil,  soft  and  fertile,  and  absolutely  free 
from  waste  surfaces,  in  solid  matter,  or  mountains,  or  oceans 
— the  water  element  being  only  known  in  rivers  and  subter- 
ranean veins ;  and  from  this  it  would  seem  that  the  law  govern- 
ing the  formation  of  heavenly  bodies,  found  in  Saturn's  original 


OR  STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  13 

element  the  opportunity  to  exemplify  its  higher  and  more 
perfect  workings  in  the  formation  of  spiritual  zones. 

The  spirit  zones  of  a  planet  are  termed  by  us  the  planetary 
or  stellar  zones,  the  word  stellar  pertaining  to  the  planetary 
material  universe,  or  to  the  planet,  or  matter  connected  with 
the  planet. 

The  spirit  zone  is  the  planet's  dual  relation  in  matter  per- 
taining to  spirit,  and  is  believed  to  have  been  perfected  in 
original  formation ;  while  the  planet  was  imperfected,  and  the 
latter,  as  to  bulk,  stands  in  the  relation  to  the  former  as  mini- 
mum to  maximum. 

Q. — Is  there  any  relation  tc  the  planet  in  the  organic  com- 
pound of  the  surfaces  of  our  spirit  zones  ? 

A. — There  is  positively  no  affinity  between  spirit  and  plane- 
tary outline  of  matter  in  respect  to  one  receiving  or  giving 
any  vital  properties  which  belong  to  the  other ;  for  the  spiritual 
outline  is  perfected  from  the  beginning,  and  there  is  no  accu- 
mulation from  other  bodies. 

It  is  be'.ieved  by  us  that  if  nature,  in  her  process  of  original 
construction,  made  any  distinction  in  the  time  in  which  she 
began  and  finished  her  work  of  the  spirit  and  planetary  out- 
line, that  the  preference  in  first  beginning  was  given  to  spirit  ; 
but  there  is  a  theory  with  us — based  as  it  is  upon  our  knowl- 
edge of  the  formation  of  small  aerolites,  through  instantaneous 
condensation  of  elements  in  ether  air — that  all  spirit  and 
planetary  outline  of  matter  was  in  the  beginning  the  effect  of 
sudden  condensation. 

There  is,  however,  an  affinity  between  the  planetary  and 
spiritual  in  the  origin  and  organization  of  certain  classes 
of  human,  animal  and  vegetable  forms  on  the  planet,  which 
are  simply  the  duplex  effects  of  impregnation,  by  correspond- 
ing spirit  germinal  insentient  form  with  planetary  human  and 
animal^  and  of  spirit  germinal  living  or  growing  form  in  plan- 
etary vegetable.  This  is  a  very  interesting  study  and  truth  to 


14  A  VOICE   FROM   THE    HEAVENS 

the  spiritual  student  of  nature,  but  a  subject  which  we  do  not 
deem  it  proper  to  enlarge  upon. 

Q. — What  is  the  surface  form  of  our  spirit  zones? 

A. .  .The  planatary  spirit  zones,  as  well  as  all  spirit  bodies 
in  space,  are  round  in  body,  which  forms  a  circle,  or  ring,  or 
zone, 

Q. — At  what  distances  are  they  situated  from  the  planet? 

A. — The  distance  of  the  inner  zone  from  the  earth  is  calcu- 
lated to  be  little  over  one  diameter  of  the  earth,  or  about  ten 
thousand  miles,  and  its  own  diameter  double  that  of  the  earth. 

The  second  zone,  exterior  and  on  a  plane  with  the  inner 
one,  is  situated  about  the  distance  of  */£  diameter  of  the  first, 
or  inner  zone,  and  in  body  diameter  is  one  third  less  than  the 
inner  one ;  but  of  course  many  thousand  miles  greater  in  cir- 
cle. 

The  inner  stellar  zone  is  the  lowest  in  the  order  of  spirit 
outline  of  matter  as  well  as  quality  of  its  ethers  or  atmosphere  ; 
while  the  second  and  outer  zone  is  the  perfection  in  these  re- 
spects obtainable  by  the  stellar  zone. 

As  I  said  before,  the  stellar  zones  are  on  a  plane  with  the 
equatorial  line  of  the  planet,  and  revolve  by  force  of  the  same 
magnetic  circuit  which  causes  the  planet  to  turn  on  its  axis ; 
but  as  the  magnetic  force  exerted  in  connection  with  spirit- 
bodies  is  greater,  so  the  rotary  motion  must  be  greater,  and  by 
this  you  will  understand  that  the  spiritual  inhabitants  of  the 
stellar  zones  are  in  the  shadow  about  the  same  as  you  are  on 
the  planet,  with  the  exception  that  the  nether  surfaces  of  the 
zones  are  subject  to  greater  numbers  of  intervals  of  shadow 
and  light. 


OR    STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  15 


Kig.  1. 
Planetary  or  Stellar  Zones. 

Centre  i  the  planet;  2  Inter  Stellar  Space;  3  Inter  Stellar  Zone;  4  Super  Stellar 
spaces;    5  Super  Stellar  Zone. 

You  have  now  learned  that  the  inhabitants  of  spirit  zones 
are  subject  to  the  conditions  of  light  and  shadow  the  same  as 
mortals;  and  this  truth  leads  you  to  comprehend  the  fact 
that  the  spirit  person  in  any  location  or  condition  of  spiritual 
existence  is  subject  to  elements  and  limitations. 

In  connection  with  the  foregoing  reference  to  light  and 
shadow,  it  will  be  well  to  explain  to  you  that  natural  light  is  a 
spirit  principle,  or  element,  and  that  the  sun  as  the  source  of 
all  light  and  life  of  both  spirit  and  planetary  outline,  is  dual  in 
its  power  and  properties,  and  the  light  in  which  you  live  as 


A   VOICE   FROM    THEHEAVENS 


mortals  is  in  color  and  properties  the  effect  of  the  union  of 
the  sun's  rays  with  the  atmosphere  ;  while  through  the  tinted 
ethers  of  the  zones  the  natural  soft  white  spiritual  light  of  the 
sun  changes  to  a  glow  of  beauty,  in  effects  of  color  according 
to  the  quality  and  tint  of  ethers  surrounding  them. 

You  have  now  in  mind  a  geographical  description  of  the 
great  stellar  zones  on  which  there  are  no  waste  surfaces  ;  for 
an  element  corresponding  to  water  does  not  exist  in  spirit  ; 
neither  the  element  fire,  both  being  elements  pertaining  to  the 
planetary. 

The  inner  zone  which  you  understand  is  the  greatest  in  body 
diameter  is  termed  the  inter-stellar,  and  the  outer  zone  the 
super-stollar,  or  commonly  the  exterior  zone.  The  prefix 
super*  applies  in  the  sense  of  the  superiority  which  is  natural- 
to  the  surface  formation  through  greater  spirit  refinement. 

The  ether  —  or  atmosphere,  as  you  may  better  understand 
it  —  surrounds  each  zone  in  uniform  depth,  and  is  the  envelope 
which  corresponds  to  the  same  surrounding  the  planet.  In 
referring  to  this  envelope  which  surrounds  all  spirit  zones,  we 
simply  use  the  term  ethers,  instead  of  atmosphere,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  outlines  in  ethers  do  not  form  a  "sphere"  but  cor- 
respond to  the  form  of  the  zone. 

The  ethers  of  the  super  stellar  zone  are  the  most  refined  and 
strongest  in  tint  which  conducts  the  sun's  rays  with  superior 
effect. 

The  space  between  the  planet  and  the  interstellar  zone  is 
termed  the  stellar  spaces,  and  the  space  between  the  two  zones 
is  called  the  inter-stellar  spaces. 

Now  you  will  understand  that  there  is  a  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  atmosphere  of  the  planet  and  the  spirit  ethers  of 
the  first  or  inter-stellar  zone,  as  well  as  between  the  inter- 
stellar and  super-stellar,  where  the  ethers  do  not  meet.  These 
dividing  lines  are  called  the  blank  ether  spaces. 


A  VOICE   FROM   THE    HEAVENS  17 

LESSON  IV. 


CKIvESTIAL,  ZONES.— SPIRITUAL  VEINS. 


[SPIRIT  REMARKS. — It  is  our  desire  to  convey  to  your  mind  a 
thorough  understanding  of  the  spiritual  conditions,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  comprehend,  as  we  proceed,  what  is  meant  by 
spirit  personal  sphere,  powers  and  attributes,  and  the  advantage 
and  desirability  of  the  mortal  life  as  a  basis  condition  of 
growth  for  the  attainment  of  such  attributes,  as  far  as  possible, 
consistent  with  the  nature  of  each  mortal  person  through  cir 
cumstances  of  birth.] 

Q. — Are  there  other  spirit  zones  in  space  which  are  sepa- 
rated from  and  have  no  connection  with  planets  ? 

A.- — You  have  learned  in  a  previons  lesson  that  when  the 
immortal  spirit  comes  to  his  home,  that  by  slow  degrees  the 
impressions  of  things  pertaining  to  his  prior  state  fade  away, 
while  his  spirit  vision  gradually  opens  upon  spirit  nature  and 
individuals,  until  his  senses  are  at  last  closed  forever  against 
mortal  persons  and  things,  and  what  was  to  him  real  and  tan- 
gible has  now  become  unreal  and  intangible,  while  the  sweet 
reality  of  the  heavenly  life  and  love  and  beauty  dawns  upon  his 
senses.  The  former  things  have  passed  away  with  him.  He 
sees  a  new  heaven  above  him,  as  he  stands  in  the  sunset 
shadow  and  beholds  the  great  sheen  resplendent  with  its  thou- 
sands of  stars  still  shining;  but  they  are  not  the  stars  which  greeted 
his  vision  as  a  mortal,  for  the  planetary  outline  is  no  longer 
Visible  to  him;  but  they  arc  the  zones  situated  at  various  dis- 
tances in  the  spaces  beyond  him.  Some  may  be  the  stellar 
zones  of  other  planets,  but  many  are  the  great  bodies  known 
to  us  as  the  celestial  zones,  which,  like  planets,  vary  in  size, 
but  are  in  all  cases  much  greater  in  body  diameter  and  circle 
than  the  stellar  zones,  and  differ  from  planetary  zones  in  the 
respect  that  the  inner  zone  is  the  only  material  center — the 


l8  OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS. 

direct  centers  being  very  strong  magnetic  ethereal  conditions. 
In  combinations  of  rings  or  zones,  many  are  of  three,  which  is 
the  least  in  combination,  and  some  very  large  ones  are  known 
to  have  six,  decreasing  in  body  diameter  from  the  inter-celes- 
tial to  the  outer,  or  super-celestial,  and  of  course  increasing  in 
circumference  or  circle. 

It  is  customary  with  us  in  referring  to  the  celestial  zones — 
in  the  order  in  which  nature  has  so  beautifully  arranged  them 
— to  designate  them  as  the  central-celestial  the  inter-celestial 
and  super-celestial — the  latter  being  the  highest  degree  of  per- 
fection in  surface  compound,  as  well  as  quality  and  color  of 
ethers  that  is  attainable  in  the  spirit  outline  of  matter  while 
the  central  and  inter-zones  are,  in  respect  to  absolute  perfec- 
tion, the  progressive  approaches  to  the  outer  or  super-celestial. 

In  referring  to  the  ethers  and  intermediate  spaces  of  the 
celestial  zones,  we  simply  say,  inter-celestial  and  super-celestial 
ethers  and  spaces. 

As  the  observer,  in  the  person  of  the  new  born  spirit, 
stands — as  he  always  does  for  the  first  time  in  spirit  life — on 
the  inter-stellar  zone,  he  sees  the  great  sheen  of  the  heavens 
beyond  and  above  him,  revealing  to  his  vision  the  spirit  outline 
of  heavenly  bodies — those  in  the  great  distances  seen  only  as 
stars  of  soft  light,  while  others  show  their  outline  of  rings  ;  but 
a  new  and  strange  feature  of  the  starry  heavens  above  greets 
his  new-born  vision,  as  he  beholds  the  long,  bright  lines  of 
light  varying  in  apparant  width  and  brilliancy  according  to 
their  location  in  the  spaces.  Many  of  these  lines  are  irregular 
in  outline.  Some  appear  serpentine,  and  like  rivers;  some  ap- 
pear curved,  while  others  are  perfectly  straight,  and  they  ex- 
tend in  various  directions  on  a  plane  with  other  bodies  across 
the  entire  dome  of  the  heavens  from  horizon  to  horizon. 
These  ara  the  great  veins  which  stretch  athwart  the  heavens 
through  countless  millions  of  miles,  connecting  all  planetary, 
stellar  and  celestial  bodies,  but  in  no  case  have  direct  contact 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


OR   STELLAR  AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  19 

with  other  bodies.  Many  of  them  from  this  planet's  stellar 
zones  appear  very  near  and  broad,  while  others,  in  the  distance, 
show  but  lines  of  bright  light.  They  are  elongated  bodies  of 
matter  subject  to  the  same  magnetic  forces  as  the  planet  or 
zone,  and  are  unchangeable  in  position  and  relation  with  other 
bodies,  and  revolves  around  the  sun  by  force  of  the  same  mag- 
netic element  and  circuit  of  power  that  carries  all  spirit  zones 
and  all  planets  in  unvarying  motion.  They  are  of  great  body 
diameter,  the  very  least  in  size  being  many  times  greater  than 
the  largest  central  celestial  zone;  and,  next  to  the  great  sun  it- 
self, they  are  in  diameter  the  largest  bodies  in  the  created 
heavens. 

The  ethers  surrounding  the  great  veins  are  natural  to  the 
spirit  person,  while  their  body  and  surface  structure  is  hard 
and  barren.  They  are  termed  by  us  the  spiral  lines  or  veins, 
as  their  ethers  are  charged  with  a  magnetic  circuit  which  sus- 
stains  and  conducts  the  spirit  person  with  great  rapidity  for- 
ward and  around  the  body  of  the  vein  or  line,  which  give  to 
the  person  a  spiral  west  to  east  motion.  The  ability  to  reach 
a  spiral  vine  and  endure  the  magnetic  charge  which  attracts 
one  forward  is  a  personal  attribute,  termed  the  power  of  spiral 
motion. 

I  have  now  given  you  a  superficial  knowledge  of  what  nature 
does  for  humanity  in  its  heavenly  provisions  and  advantages, 
that  you  may  be  inspired  with  personal  efforts  in  your  develop- 
ment in  mortal  life  and  may  thereby  be  able  to  fully  enjoy  the 
advantages  which  the  heavenly  life  bestows  upon  you. 


A    VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


LESSON  V. 


SPHERE^.— SRHER1C  OFN    THE 


Q. — What  is  the  meaning  of  " spirit  sphere?"  Is  it  true 
that  it  implies  a  state  attained  or  to  be  reached  by  progressive 
approaches  in  spirit  life,  or  an  abiding  place  or  condition? 

A. — It  has  been  thought  that  mortals  have  been  led  to  re- 
gard the  spirit  sphere  as  being  a  special  condition  attained  im- 
mediately upon  transition,  or  to  be  reached  by  progress  in 
spirit  life,  and  the  super-stellar  zone  has  doubtless  been  re- 
ferred to  as  the  "third  sphere  "  as  implying  a  locality,  from  its 
being  really  the  third  condition  outward,  considering  the 
planet  as  the  first,  and  inhabited  as  it  is  by  the  better  classes 
of  spiritual  society  proceeding  from  the  planet,  and  the  word 
"^sphere,"  as  far  as  this  is  concerned,  would  be  properly  ap- 
plied to  a  fixed  condition  and  abiding  place. 

You  will  now  understand  that  the  spirit  sphere  is  a  distinct 
personal  attribute  or  function — a  magnetic  envelope  which  is 
developed  as  a  visible  tangible,  part  of  the  spirit  form  which  i^ 
surrounds,  partially  or  entirely,  and  in  size,  quality,  color  and 
strength,  varying  in  degrees  of  tint  and  power  from  spirit  per- 
sons who  possess  "great  sphere"  in  size  and  magnetic  power, 
and  bright  color  down  through  the  descending  scale  of  numer- 
ous degrees  in  size  and  strength,  to  partial  sphere,  and  to  the 
class  known  as  sphereless  spirits,  or  as  termed  by  some  per- 
sons blank  spheres,  and  by  others  dark  spheres,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  magnetic  vitality  which  renders  them  non-luminous 
in  the  shadow. 

We  wish  to  distinctly  impress  upon  your  mind  this  truth  : 
that  the  sphere  of  the  spirit  person  is  the  power  by  which  he 
lives,  moves  and  has  his  being,  to  a  great  extent,  in  spirit  life} 
and  the  power  by  which  he  or  she  becomes  limited  or  un- 
limited in  condition  as  members  of  society  in  the  heavens. 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


That  you  may  better  understand  the  nature  of  the  spirit 
sphere  and  the  purpose  which  it  naturally  serves  the  spirit  per- 
son, you  will  consider  that  the  planet  upon  which  you  live, 
surrounded  by  an  envelope  called  the  atmosphere, which  is  heavily 
charged  with  the  magnetic  element,  and  it  is  through  and  by 
this  magnetized  envelope  that  the  planet  becomes  buoyant,  or  is 
sustained  by  the  attractive  forces  of  the  vast  ethereal  ocean  of 
magnetism  in  which  it  moves. 

Magnetism  is  an  element  of  the  spirit  person's  senses  and 
and  condition  to  the  extent  that  mortals  cannot  comprehend  ; 
although  as  a  vital  element  that  fills  all  space,  and  permeates 
all  things  pertaining  to  spirit  and  planetary  outline,  it  is  not 
visible  to  the  spirit  person,  but  in  the  shadow  the  ethers  ap- 
pear slightly  luminous  and  active. 

Understand  me — the  sphere  of  your  planet  is  the  magnet 
so  to  speak,  by  which  it  is  sustained  in  the  element  in  which 
it  moves,  and  it  is  through  this  sphere  alone  that  the  sun  has 
power  to  produce  heat  or  life,  and  what  is  true  of  the  planet 
and  its  sphere  in  its  relation  to  the  sun  and  the  magnetic  ele- 
ments, is  true  respecting  every  stellar  and  celestial  zone. 

You  now  comprehend  that  our  spirit  form  is  not  an  intan 
gible  something  which  is  easily  dissolved  or  convertible  from 
one  condition  to  another,  but  that  it  is  the  human  form  stil^ 
and  occupies  just  as  much  or  more  space  in  length,  breadth  and 
bulk,  and  that  in  the  spirit  state  of  being  in  which  nature  has 
perfected  us  we  are  subject  to  ^ws,  limitations  and  elements 
governing  our  life  upon  the  zones,  or  in  overcoming  distances 
through  the  ether  spaces.  Through  our  transition  there  are 
certain  elements  we  have  left  behind,  while  we  have  become 
subjected  and  adapted  to  other  and  more  vital  elements. 
Magnetism  has  become  one  of  our  new  elements  which  exist 
in  rapid  moving  currents,  in  fixed  directions  in  all  atmospheres 
and  ethers  and  blank  spaces.  Now  it  is  with  these  currents, 
that  spirit  personages  who  possess  independent  sphere  can 


A   VOICE    FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


place  themselves  in  connection,  by  simply  allowing  their 
spheres  to  become  charged,  when  they  are  rendered  buoyant 
in  ethers  or  atmosphere  by  the  attractive  power  which  is  ex- 
erted in  connection  with  the  sphere,  and  by  simple  will  power 
can  maintain  any  direction  desirable.  As  far  as  buoyancy  is 
concerned,  the  effect  of  the  law  is  identical  with  that  exerted 
on  a  planet,  which  is  sustained,  and  has  its  motion  and  position 
in  space  by  virtue  of  its  charged  sphere  or  atmosphere.  But 
if  the  spirit  person  having  made  his  connection  with  the  cur- 
rents, exerts  no  will  power  in  desire  to  follow  any  particular 
direction,  he  will  simply  be  attracted  in  the  direction  in  which 
the  currents  have  their  circuit,  as  you  would  follow  without 
resistance  the  current  of  a  stream  of  water. 

You  will  please  note — the  relations  which  a  ponderable  body 
sustains  to  air  or  ethers  and  terra  firma,  or  the  inertia  of  things 
at  rest  or  in  motion,  or  the  force  of  gravity  is  in  spirit  corres- 
pondingly the  same  as  in  mortal  life,  hence  the  spirit  person 
as  a  solid,  ponderable  body,  stands  in  his  relation  to  ethers, 
the  same  as  the  mortal  does  to  atmosphere;  but  spirit 
nature  has  empowered  the  spirit  person  to  overcome  these 
laws,  and  conditions,  by  bestowing  upon  him  a  special  func- 
tion or  attribute,  which  is  the  spirit  sphere. 

The  direction  of  the  magnetic  currents  in  connection  with 
this  planet  is  always  outward  from  the  centre,  and  the  motion 
becomes  much  stronger  in  the  planet's  atmosphere,  where  the 
repelling  power  is  great  over  the  approaching  spirit,  and  he 
must  force  himself  against  its  outward  motion  which  carries 
him  quickly  back  to  his  native  ethers. 

In  regard  to  causes  which  produce  effects  in  the  motion  of 
stellar  and  celestial  bodies  we  have  no  theories,  but  simply  a 
knowledge  which  is  afforded  spiritual  beings  by  a  life  of  great 
advantages  and  opportunities. 

You  have  already  learned  in  this  lesson  that  space  is  a  vast 
depth  of  magnetic  forces  existing  in  eternal  and  unvarying 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  23 

motion  in  fixed  directions,  and  that  such  is  the  law  that  what- 
ever connection  is  established  between  the  attracting  magnet 
or  element  and  the  body  or  person  that  may  be  attracted,  that 
body  or  person  will  conform  to  the  course  or  motion  of  the 
attracting  force.  Now  the  attracting  magnet  of  your  planet  is 
a  heavily  charged  atmospheric  and  material  element,  existing 
at  its  poles,  and  the  stronger,  or  what  we  term  the  governing 
magnet,  is  the  north  pole,  which  regulates  and  attracts  the  cur- 
rent from  west  of  south  pole,  to  east  of  north — as  the  compass 
shows — around  the  planet,  describing  a  spiral  course  in  its  mo- 
tion, which  affects  the  due  west  to  east  rotary  motion  of  the 
planet.  Now  as  I  stand  in  the  atmosphere  of  this  planet,  and 
desire  to  return  to  the  inter-stellar  zone,  I  simply  allow  my- 
self to  be  conducted  by  the  current,  which  in  this  case,  is  in 
connection  with  the  zone  as  its  polarity  or  attracting  magnet, 
and  in  being  passively  conducted,  the  current  will  carry  me  for- 
ward and  outward  in  a  spiral  west  to  east  motion;  but  if  I  desire  to 
faster  than  naturally  attracted,  or  in  a  straight  line,  that  must 
be  accomplished  by  the  will  power,and  personal  exertion.  But  do 
not  conceive  the  idea  that  the  planet,  is  conducted  in  a  north- 
ward spiral  motion;  but  that  it  always  maintains  its  position  and 
equilibrium  on  its  plane  and  orbit,  and  its ,  rotary  motion  is 
simply  caused  by  the  spiral  course  and  force  of  the  magnetic 
current  permeating  its  atmosphere  and  matter,  as  it  is  governed 
and  attracted  by  the  polar  magnet,  and  the  effect  of  this 
moving  element  is  the  same,  in  comparison,  as  in  the  case  of 
a  wheel  turned  by  force  of  a  fall  of  water. 

On  the  grand  plane  on  which  all  stellar  and 
celestial  worlds  are  situated  in  fixed  relations  and  dis- 
tances, in  their  motion  around  the  sun,  they  simply 
describe  the  course  or  circuit  of  the  currents  existing  in 
the  magnetic  element  in  which  they  are  situated,  where  they 
are  sustained  and  governed  in  their  motion  by  the  attraction 
which  is  exerted  in  connection  with  their  spheres. 


24  A  VOICE  FROM   THE  HEAVENS 

I  have  made  this  deviation  from  the  direct  subject  of  the 
spirit  sphere  in  order,  that  you  may  understand  the  nature  of 
the  law  as  it  applies  to  large  bodies,  and  now  you  fully  com- 
prehend that  the  word  sphere  as  pertaining  to  such  bodies  im- 
plies the  power  by  which  they  have  organic  life  and  motion, 
and  as  pertaining  to  the  spirit  person,  it  is  a  distinct  personal 
function  and  power  by  which  alone  he  is  able  to  ascend  in 
ethers,  or  traverse  space. 

Q.     What  relation  does  the  sphere  sustain  to  air  pressure  ? 

A.  All  spirit  substances,  or  ponderable  bodies  or  persons, 
sustain  precisely  the  same  relation  to  ethereal  air  pressure  as 
things  or  persons  pertaining  to  the  planetary  do  to  atmospheric 
pressure,  and  the  two  conditions,  as  exemplifications  of  this 
truth  and  law,  are  identical;  but  the  well-developed  sphere 
overcomes  this  pressure,  in  a  measure,  by  partial  non-affinity  or 
non-blending  with  the  air. 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  25 

LESSON  VI. 


SPIRIT     SPHERE     CONTINUED.— DESCRIPTION 
OK   DEGREES,   CI^A-SSES  AND  SEXES. 


Q.  What  is  the  sphere  development  attained  by  the  masses 
or  the  general  average  ? 

A.  Individual*  possessing  this  functional  power  in  various 
degrees  of  size  and  vitality,  may  be  classed  as  three  grand  di- 
visions. The  first  grand  division  consists  of  two  classes.  Class 
one,  comprises  all  persons  who  are  sphereless — a  term  which 
implies  non-vital  and  non-luminous  spheres,  which  are  small  in 
envelope.  Such  persons  cannot  become  buoyant,  or  rise  in 
ethers  only  as  they  attach  themselves  to  others  who  are  inde- 
pendent spheres.  Class  two  may  comprise  those  whose  spheres 
are  larger  in  envelope,  partially  luminous  and  dull  in  color,  and 
which  possess  sufficient  vitality  to  give  bouyancy  when  in  con- 
nection with  persons  possessing  independent  spheres.  Of  the 
persons  composing  the  first  class,  more  than  nine-tenths  are 
males.  It  is  comparatively  seldom  that  a  female  desends 
so  low  that  she  becomes  a  sphereless  person  in  spirit.  The 
second  class  also  is  composed  of  a  majority  of  males,  the 
females  belonging  mainly  to  the  higher  grand  divisions.  The 
above  estimate  applies  to  the  general  average,  and  not  to  the 
highest  standard  of  males  from  this  planet,  of  whom  there  are 
many  independent  spheres. 

Now,  in  respect  to  your  dark  races,  you  must  accept  that 
nature  has  dualized  them  as  well  as  your  self,  for  she  makes  no 
mistakes  in  the  instantaneous  mould  in  which  she  casts  them 
in  their  spirit  element;  but  as  they  are  low  in  the  scale— in 
the  organic  compound  of  spiritual  and  physical — the  result  is, 
that  as  a  humanity  in  spirit  they  must  rank  with  class  one, 
where  the  female  of  such  i  aces  in  greater  proportions  presents 
the  strong,  bright  and  active  side  of  this  humanity  taken  as  a 


26  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

whole.  There  are  exceptions,  however,  in  quite  a  proportion 
of  those  low  and  dark  classes,  who,  through  improved  circum- 
stances of  mortal  life,  have  developed  better  spiritual  attributes, 
and  are  of  the  second  class. 

The  second  grand  division  comprises  the  product  of  the 
better  classes  of  the  white  and  leading  types,  who  possess 
spheres  which  partially  envelope  the  form  and  are  quite  lumin- 
ous in  the  shadow,  varying  in  color  in  different  persons,  and 
of  rredium  vitality,  which  enables  them  to  become  indepen- 
dent so  far  as  to  move  independently  in  their  home  ethers;  but 
do  not  possess  sufficient  strength  to  enable  them  to  withstand 
spiral  motion.  Of  this  second  grand  division  the  greatest  pro- 
portion is  of  the  female  sex. 

The  third  grand  division  comprises  spirit  persons  who  pos- 
sess great  sphere  surrounding  the  entire  form.  Such  spheres 
in  the  shadow  are  beautifully  luminous,  in  great  variety  of 
bright  colors,  and  possess  great  magnetic  vitality,  which  en- 
ables them  to  easily  have  spiral  motion,  by  which  they  can 
overcome  great  distances  in  space  in  passing  from  zone  to 
zone.  This  class  numbers  a  small  proportion  of  males;  but  the 
greatest  number  are  females.  It  is  the  highest  general  attain- 
ment in  sphere. 

The  highest  limit  in  the  third  grand  division  is  known  as  the 
exalted  rank,  which  is  the  result  of  great  personal  refinement 
of  mortal  life.  Such  persons  possess  great  brain  and  sphere- 
power,  and  have  the  universe  at  their  command. 

Of  this  planet's  product  you  have  a  representation  in  the  ex- 
alted rank  of  about  one  in  a  millton,  exclusively  females,  as, 
up  to  the  present  time,  not  a  single  male  has  reached  it. 

It  is  to  be  understood  that  in  each  of  the  three  grand  divi- 
sioi-s,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  limit,  there  are  a  great 
variety  of  spheres,  rank,  cast  and  groupings. 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL    WORLDS. 


In  answer  to  your  question  regarding  the  meaning  of  spirit 
sphere,  I  have  endeavored  to  lead  you  another  step  forward  in 


the  knowledge  of  your  spiritual  life,  in  order   that  you  and 
others  may  know  and  feel  the  importance  of  your  mortal  life 


28  A  VOICE   FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

as  the  basic  condition  through  which  alone  you  may  attain 
spiritual  supremacy.  Heaven  has  no  truthi  it  would  withhold 
from  mortals  when  those  truths  are  necessary  to  give  them  new 
and  better  impulses;  for  all  that  heaven  possesses  is  yours  by 
natural  right  and  inheritance,  to  enjoy  accordingly  as  you  de- 
velop spiritual  powers. 

LESSON  VII. 


Q. — What  is  the  natural  philosophy  of  the  perpetual  youth 
or  unchanging  condition  of  the  spirit  form  ? 

A. — The  vital  ethers,  in  union  with  surface  outline  and  liv- 
ing form,  constitute  a  continuous  re-supply  of  exhausted  parti- 
cles, energies  and  forces.  Thus,  like  the  living  fountain  from 
the  mountain,  through  eternal  supply,  the  spirit  form  in  its 
bloom'and  freshness  is  enduring  by  virtue  of  the  law  which 
sustains  in  an  everlasting  life  circuit,  every  form  it  gives  to 
mortal  or  receives  in  spirit. 

Q. — Are  spiritual  beings  subject,  like  mortals,  to  correspond- 
ing effects  of  cold  or  heat  ? 

A. — The  spirit  person  is  subject  to  conditions  and  circum- 
stances over  which  he  has  no  control,  the  same  as  the  mortal; 
consequently  we  are  subject  to  changing  temperature  of  the 
ethers,  the  same  as  the  mortal  is  to  his  atmosphere;  or  rather 
that  the  nervous  system  of  the  spirit  person  is  much  more 
affected  by  the  elements  than  is  the  mortal.  In  a  previous 
lesson  on  the  sphere  you  have  learned  that  atmospheric  heat  is 
caused  by  the  union  of  two  elements,  namely:  the  atmosphere 
and  the  rays  of  the  sun.  Please  note — although  fire  is  not  an 
element  in  spirit — heat  and  cold  are  elements,  or  conditions, 
and  the  light  and  rays  of  the  sun  in  union,  with  ethers  of  the 
zones,  produces  a  mild  temperature  suited  to  our  nervous 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  29 

system  and  comfort;  but  as  we  rise  out  of  the  ethereal  envelope 
of  the  zone  into  the  blank  ether  spaces  the  air  becomes  very 
cold,  which  condition  can  only  be  overcome  by  the  personal 
sphere,  which  combines  with  the  sun's  rays  through  the  result- 
ing friction  to  produce  warmth.  Hence,  it  is  by  the  sphere 
alone  that  the  spirit  person  may  be  protected  in  his  passage 
across  blank  spaces  in  safety  and  comfort. 

Now  it  is  apparent  to  you  that  the  spheres  of  individuals  of 
classes  one  and  two  of  the  first  grand  division  could  not  endure 
the  blank  ethers,  had  they  the  power  to  reach  them  alone,  as  the 
effect  of  the  rays  of  the  sun  upon  them  would  not  result  in  re- 
quisite heat;  but  it  is  often  the  case  that  weak  persons  are 
helped  across  the  blank  spaces  between  the  planet  and  the 
ethers  of  the  inter-stellar  zone,  and  kept  comfortable  by  the 
combined  spheres  of  persons  in  whose  company  they  move; 
but  the  spirit  personage  possessing  the  greatest  and  strongest 
sphere  is  limited  in  power  to  overcome  great  distances  through 
blank  ethers;  nor  is  it  necessary,  as  the  distances  intervening 
between  any  stellar  condition  and  the  nearest  spiral  vein  is  not 
so  great  that  it  cannot  be  easily  overcome  by  the  average  sphere 
person  of  the  third  grand  division  who  possess  spiral  motion. 

Q. — How  is  the  spirit  governed  in  opposite  directions  while 
traveling  over  the  veins,  and  how  is  he  affected  by  the  change 
of  ethers? 

A. — It  has  been  explained  to  you  that  the  spiral  veins  are 
enveloped  with  atmosphere  or  ethers  which  are  heavily  charged 
with  a  circuit  of  magnetism  moving  in  reverse  directions  at  dif- 
ferent altitudes,  and  the  direction  that  the  spirit  person  wishes 
to  go  over  the  line,  must  depend  upon  whether  he  takes  the 
inner  or  the  outer  current;  but  any  counter  direction  may  be 
maintained  by  simple  exertion. 

The  effect  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  the  ethers  of  the  vein  is  to 
generate  heat,  but  not  to  the  degree  that  it  produces  the  same 
in  ethers  of  the  zone,  which  is  owing  to  the  strong  magnetic 


30  A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

nature  of  the  spiral  veins  and  ethers,  and  as  the  rays  of  the 
sun  are  purely  magnetic,  and  magnetism  is  by  nature,  as  a  single 
element,  cold,  the  predominance  of  the  magnetic  element 
in  the  spiral  veins  and  ethers  would  naturally  result  in  com- 
paratively cold  air;  for  two  like  elements  will  not  produce  a 
new  or  third  element,  but  in  ail  cases  the  spirit  sphere  is  the 
natural  protection,  safeguard  and  support  in  all  ethereal  con- 
ditions. 

It  is  well  to  know  that  the  ethers  of  the  stellar  spaces  are 
easily  overcome  by  all  persons  of  the  second  grand  division; 
while  spiral\  motion  is  [only  possible  with  persons  who  possess 
large  and  vital  spheres,  and  this  class  in  various  degrees  of 
sphere  power  have  been  classed  as  the  third  grand  division, 
and  as  spiral  motion  is  the  necessary  constitutional  power  and 
ability  by  which  the  personal  spirit  may  reach  the  great  celes- 
tial zones,  you  may  easily  comprehend  the  nature  and  classes 
of  persons,  and  the  few  in  number,  compared  to  the  whole 
who  may  find  their  abiding  places  in  those  regions  of  superior 
heavenly  beauty. 

Q. — Are  the  celestrial  zones  situated  at  very  great  distances 
from  our  stellar  zones,  and  are  they  as  great  in  number  as 
planets  ? 

A. — They  are  not  as  great  in  number  as  planets,  but  are 
situated  at  great  distances  from  planets,  and  from  each  other, 
on  the  same  plane,  and  subject  to  the  same  law  in  their  rotary 
and  orbital  motion.  Hence,  it  is  many  millions  of  miles  from 
our  planetary  zones  to  the  nearest  celestial  zones,  and  this  dis- 
tance can  only  be  overcome  by  persons  who  are  able  to  with- 
stand the  rapid  motion  which  necessarily  carries  a  single  per- 
son at  a  speed  almost  impossible  to  endure.  ,  To  avoid  un- 
pleasant speed  the  transits  are  generally  made  by  a  group  of 
persons  as  the  attracting  motion  is  overcome  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  group;  but  at  the  greatest  speed  which  may  be 
accomplished  by  the  average  classes,  it  always  takes  many  days 
to  reach  the  nearest  celestial  zone. 


OR    STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  3! 

It  may  be  interesting  for  you  to  know  that  the  motion  of  the 
magnetic  currents,  whether  it  be  in  the  stellar  spaces  or  the  spiral 
veins  always  carries  the  person  or  group  forward  in  distinct  vibra- 
tions or  waves,  and  these  waves  are  of  greater  interval  in  the 
spiral  veins  than  in  the  stellar  spaces;  consequently  more 
severe  on  the  nervous  system,  and  it  is  the  custom  of  groups 
whether  in  spiral  motion,  or  moving  in  the  stellar  spaces,  to 
accompany  the  motion  or  time  of  these  magnetic  waves  or  in- 
tervals, with  a  certain  song  or  harmony,  known  as  the  cadences 
or  rondolays,  and  commonly  termed  spiral  song.  These 
cadences  serve  the  purpose  of  uniting  the  motion  of  the  mov- 
ing group,  and  harmonizing  the  feelings. 

Q. — Would  you  inform  us  as  to  the  length  of  time  required 
to  make  the  transit  from  the  inter-stellar  zone  to  the  planet  ? 

A. — The  speed  in  approach  is  in  proportion  to  the  person's 
sphere  power,  and  ability  to  overcome  the  repelling  current, 
and  the  speed  in  return  in  proportion  of  the  sphere  power  to 
attraction;  but  at  best,  it  will  consume  several  minutes  of 
time.  Ethereal  concussion  or  resistance  to  speed  increases  in 
proportion  to  decrease  of  sphere  power,  namely:  The  larger  and 
stronger  the  sphere,  the  less  the  person  feels  air  resistance. 
The  weak  and  sphereless  are  subject  to  violent  air  concussions, 
which  the  independent  sphere  does  not  realize. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


32  A   VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 

LESSON  VIII. 

TRANSITION     IN     CHILDHOOD — THK     SF»IRIT 
STAR. 

Q. — If  it  be  true  that  the  mortal  life  is  really  the  developing 
season  through  which  we  are  in  personal  form  perfected  im- 
mediately upon  our  advent  into  spirit,  how  then  are  we  to  un- 
derstand the  spiritual  development  attained  by  those  whose 
transition  occurs  in  childhood. 

A. — The  destiny  is  always  reached,  for  the  divine  law  govern- 
ing our  human  nature  maintains  an  equilibrium  in  each  indivi- 
dual destiny.  There  is  a  balance  lost  and  a  balance  gained  in 
such  fortunate  or  unfortunate  transitions,  consider  them  as  you 
may;  but  there  is  a  general  limitation  of  development  in  sphere 
and  attributes  which  applies  to  all  such  cases,  and  that  limit  is 
higher  in  the  ultimate  purity  of  type  and  sphere  than  the  great 
mass  of  persons  of  class  one  and  two  of  the  first  grand  division; 
but  while  all  such  cases — barring  results  of  low  birth — gain 
about  an  equality  in  attributes,  they  never  attain  the  natural 
full  stature  which  the  transition  from  mature  years  would  have 
given  them ;  neither  do  they  ever  attain  great  sphere,  but  the 
general  average  of  type  is  very  pure  and  perfect,  and  the  female 
star  is  generally  large  and  brilliant.  None  are  starless. 

Q.     What  is  the  nature  of  the  female  star.* 

*  The  writer  sees  the  spirit  star  in  the  night  in  its  full  brilliancy,  somewhat 

and 
the 


looking,  happens  to  intersect  my  angle  of  vision,  which  "causes  it  to  be  briefly 
though  plainly  seen.  The  first  which  I  saw,  four  years  ago,  I  took  for  a  meteor, 
but  the  near  approach  of  the  star  to  the  ground,  and  its  peculiar  lights  led  me 
to  enquire,  and  the  answer  was  retained  for  a  future  occasion  when  I  saw  the 
same  bright  star  descending  in  a  serpentine  motion,  and  the  recognition  and 
exchanging  of  words  simultaneous  with  its  appearance  was  convincing  to  the 
spirit  as  well  as  myself  that  I  really  saw  her  star,  and  that  the  appearance  was 
caused  by  momentary  connection  of  vision  established  between  myself  and  the 
spirit,  who  at  the  same  time  momentarily  saw  my  face.  This  particular  star  I 
have  seen  many  times  moving  in  different  angles.  On  one  occasion  it  was  seen 
first  at  rest,  when  it  moved  slowly  westward.  At  another  time  it  was  seen  to 
move  down,  and  then  up,  describing  a  loop  in  its  motion.  At  another  time 
moving  in  a  horizontal  line  inclined  a  little  upward.  Many  other  lesser  stars  in 
brilliancy  are  seen  nightly  as  mere  white  streaks  of  light.  'On  two  occassions  I 
have  seen  the  large  star  appear  when  the  sky  was  overcast  with  clouds,  and  at 
one  time  between  myself  and  a  hill  which  was  obscured  by  a  dense  fog. 

In  the  daylight,  at  all  times,  I  see  great  numbers  of  spirit  stars  in  rapid  motion 
in  all  directions,  but  they  appear  diminished  as  little  diamond  balls  of  white  light. 
In  this  case  they  are  not  feen  by  a  chance  condition  like  those  large  ones  seen  in 
the  night;  but  are  always  in  greater  or  less  numbers  visible,  and  appear  from  their 
angles  of  motion  to  be  very  far  away,  and  in  the  evening,  unless  one  becomes 
perchance^  magnified  by  direct  connection  of  vision,  they  appear  as  mere  specks 
of  very  bright  light. 


OR    STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


33 


3. 

The  spirit  stars  as  seen  moving  in  the  night. 

A. — We  have  explained  to  you  that  the  spirit  form  in  its 
perfection  in  spirit,  is  the  consolidation,  or  union  of  the  previ- 
ous double— the  vital,  sentient  nerve  forces  of  the  mortal  with  the 
spirit  form  as  it  affinitizes  with  its  natural  element,  and  that 
the  spirit  or  corresponds  to  the  mortal  in  the  absolute  per- 
fection of  every  function;  for  nature  does  not  take  from,  but 
adds  too;  and  in  accordance  with  her  design  in  her  finished 


34  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS. 

work,  intensifies  and  perfects  each  organ  of  the  human  form, 
and  of  the  additions  and  adornments  she  has  made  to  the  spirit 
form,  the  most  conspiciuous  are  the  sphere  and  star. 

While  the  sphere  is  natural  to  both  sexes,  in  many  degrees 
of  power,  the  spirit  star  is  exclusively  a  female  adornment  which 
nature  places  on  her  brow  as  a  natural  decoration  of  rank  in 
which  she  has  placed  the  female — a  human  being  perfected  in 
superior  spiritual  beauty  and  power.  The  size  and  brilliancy 
of  her  star  can  be  understood  to  correspond  with  the  sphere; 
but  perhaps  a  greater  proportion  have  small  and  dim  stars^ 
The  average  classes  attain  about  an  equality  in  size  and  bril- 
liancy, and  so  on  up  the  highest  classes,  who  possess  a  very 
large  and  brilliant  star. 

As  the  star  is  a  natural  decoration,  it  is  regarded  with  pride 
by  those  who  possess  it,  and  those  who  possess  it  large  and 
bright  are  much  admired  and  emulated.  Those  whose  stars 
are  small  and  dim,  and  those  who  are  starless,  feel  keenly  the 
causes,  through  low  mortal  birth  and  growth,  which  alone  could 
produce  such  comparatively  poor  effects  in  spirit  life;  although 
happy,  beautified  and  exalted  above  their  prior  state,  they  can 
but  feel  sensibly  the  contrast  between  themselves  and  the 
brighter  stars  around  them,  as  well  as  the  rich  advantage  which 
their  mortal  life  affords  as  a  means  of  better  growth  under  any 
circumstances. 

Unlike  the  sphere — which  is  never  distinctly  visible  only  in 
the  shadow — the  spirit  star  is  at  all  times  the  most  brilliant 
appearance  in  the  heavens,  and  in  the  shadow  the  large  stars 
are  seen  as  flaming  lights  in  a  great  variety  of  colors;  each  star 
corresponding  to  the  sphere  in  the  color  of  its  light;  and  very 
distant  groups  in  motion  can  be  seen  by  their  sparkling  stars 
when  their  forms  are  beyond  the  scope  of  vision. 

In  a  preceding  lesson  we  have  shown  you  the  reverse  pro- 
portions in  which  the  sexes  stand  to  each  other  in  spirit,  in  the 
ascending  and  descending  scale.  Now,  the  small  proportion  of 


OR    STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  35 

females  in  the  decending  scale,  who  are  sphereless,  and  starless, 
is  a  plain  proof  and  illustration  of  the  superior  divinity  in  her 
nature,  that  crowns  her  in  heavenly  beauty  and  power  whether 
she  will  or  no;  but  there  are  causes  which  underlie  these  pre_ 
vailing  effects  in  male  spiritual  weakness  which  we  will  speak 
of  in  another  part.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that  the  many  ex 
ceptions  where  the  male  has  reached  the  female  in  mental,, 
and  sphere  power,  prove  that  divine  nature  never  created  such 
contrasts,  but  that  these  disparaging  effects  are  the  result  of  the 
inferior  plane  on  which  the  male  sex  have  voluntarily  asserted 
themselves  in  their  mortal  life  in  direct  opposition  to  the  female, 
in  all  that  pertains  to  her  tender,  refined  and  humane  nature. 


LESSON  IX. 


TYPE. 


Q. — Is  there  in  individuals  in  our  mortal  life  a  standard  of 
excellence,  which  we  may  consider  as  a  guide,  or  an  example 
of  superior  spiritual  attainments  ? 

A. — It  may  be  taken  as  a  rule  that  mortal  types  of  perfect 
features  and  form,  possess  strong  mentality  and  refinement, 
and  are  associated  with  superior  beauty  in  dual  form,  sphere 
and  star;  but  there  are  exceptions  where  spirit  persons  of  either 
sex  have  reached  a  high  rank  in  excellence  of  spiritual  pow- 
ers and  personal  type,  who  were  comparatively  inferior  as 
mortal  types.  These  may  be  considered  as  examples  of  the 
power  of  thought  in  its  influence  upon  the  "dual"  form.  Then, 
again,  there  are  many  persons  of  your  planet,  principally  female, 
who  possessed  remarkably  beautiful  mortal  types,  who  were 
strong  in  character  and  refined  mentality,  who  have  risen  with 
great  personal  beauty  and  sphere  as  the  bright  stars  and  queens 
of  the  heavens. 


36  A  VOICE    FROM    THE   HEAVENS 

The  word  type  as  applied  to  the  spirit-personage  signifies 
the  compound,  in  form,  features,  complexion,  brain  power, 
sphere  and  star.  We  speak  of  this  or  that  person  as  a  good  or 
poor  type  according  to  presence,  or  personal  appearance  in 
the  possession  of  the  above  named  attributes;  but  the  very 
least  that  nature  does  for  the  weakest  mortal  type  is  to  improve 
upon  the  original  form,  as  she  repeats  and  molds  its  likeness 
in  the  better  element. 

Many  a  poor  mortal  female  type  who  traveled  unknown 
and  unhonored  in  her  mortal  life,  with  pallid  features  and  sink- 
ing heart,  has  reached  her  heaven  triumphant  in  personal 
beauty  and  powers,  and  many  a  male  has  gone  unknown, 
quietly  and  peaceably,  one  stept  in  honest  duty  to  himself  and 
humanity  around  him,  and  another  step  towards  the  heavens) 
who  has  attained  great  rank  and  power  in  spirit;  but  it  may  be 
taken  as  a  rule  that  excellence  in  the  mortal  compound  of 
form,  features,  and  refined  mentality,  will  be  repeated  in  the 
dual,  superior  spirit  type. 

Q. — Do  I  understand  you  to  mean  that  there  is  no  progress 
to  be  made,  or  any  changes  which  the  spirit  person  may  pass 
through,  by  which  he  may  attain  greater  sphere  and  higher 
conditions  in  the  heavens  ? 

A. — We  have  explained  to  you  the  natural  law  governing 
the  development  of  those  whose  transitions  occur  in  childhood; 
but  in  all  cases  as  the  persons  appear  as  spirit  types,  in  general 
compound,  so  will  they  appear  forever;  for  the  growth  of  the 
dual  form  reaches  the  natural  ultimatum  in  mortality,  and 
there  is  no  power  through  the  law  to  give  the  sphereless  per- 
son a  sphere,  or  the  starless  female  a  star.  If  her  star  is  small  it 
will  always  remain  the  same,and  partial  and  undersized  spheres 
will  never  enlarge.  The  features  and  form  are  fixed  and  un- 
changable,  and  the  brightest  star  and  finest  type  of  the  female 
or  male,  stands  out  perfected  in  its  natural  beauty  and  power 


OR    STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  37 

from  its  very  first  breath  in  spirit  ethers,  and  its  first  vision  of 
heaven's  glory. 

You  dislike  to  hear  this  statement;  but  the  truth  shall  be 
told  you  in  order  that  you  may  feel  the  importance  of  your 
mortal  life — in  its  full  development — as  the  season  of  growth  in 
which  and  through  which,  alone  high  spiritual  attributes  are 

attained. 

The  rose  that  blooms  in  your  garden  in  its  perfection  in 
form  and  color,  is  the  effect  of  certain  special  culture  and 
secret  causes  which  have  produced  a  special  superior  type, 
and  as  it  turns  to  you  in  its  full  and  fragrant  bloom  it  cannot 
be  improved  upon,  only  as  you  repeat  its  likeness  under  better 
care  and  culture,  and  if  it  be  a  rose  blooming  in  spirit  ground 
it  will  retain  its  bloom  and  form  forever,  unless  it  be  taken  from 
the  stem'that  bears  it.  So  also,  Divine  Nature  refuses  to  im- 
mediately add  beauty  in  form  and  feature,  or  superior  type  to 
the  new-born  adult  spirit,  where  such  qualities  do  not  exist  by 
virtue  of  the  necessary  mortal  unfoldment.  It  is  true,  how 
ever,  that  a  perceptible  progress  is  made  by  non- vital  spheres, 
in  the  course  of  a  great  many  years  of  life  in  the  spirit  element, 
and  by  repeated  trials  in  the  etherial  currents,  by  which  they 
are  better  able  to  withstand  magnetic  attraction. 

You  will  understand  that  the  law  of  the  life  circuit  of  ele- 
ments and  forces  in  the  human  form,  governs  the  spirit  the 
same  as  the  mortal  form.  By  virtue  of  this  law  during  each 
decade  of  your  mortal  life,  your  form  has  taken  on  new  ele- 
ment and  forces  and  rejected  the  old.  From  childhood  to 
maturity  this  circuit  has  added  to,  and  replenished  the  ex- 
hausted elements  and  forces.  After  maturity  replenishment 
diminishes,  and  less  and  less  the  form  becomes  the  conductor 
of  elements  and  forces  pertaining  to  the  planetary  or  mortal 
life,  and  necessarily  dies.  As  this  law  governs  the  spirit  per- 
son, there  is  eternal  replenishment  of  exhausted  elements  and 
forces,  whereby  the  form  is  eternally  renewed  and  improved. 


A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


The  brain,  and  the  nervous  system  becomes  gradually  strength- 
ened and  adapted  to  more  refined  condition  of  ethers  and 
zone,  where  the  life  circuit  renews  the  form  in  superior  mental 
and  bodily  power,  and  adds  a  bloom  and  beauty  which  did  not 
at  first  exist.  By  this  you  see  that  the  higher  the  spirit  ele- 
ment of  ethers  and  zone  in  which  we  abide,  the  more  perfect  is 
the  form  renewed,  and  as  far  as  this  truth  is  concerned  you 
may  understand  that  there  is  eternal  progress  in  form,  in  its 
gradual  adaption  to  higher  element,  while  the  natural  type  re- 
mains the  same,  and  the  sphere  although  increased  in  mag- 
netic vitality  remains  in  size  the  same. 

These  are  the  limitations  in  progress  from  which  you  can 
form  your  conclusions. 

We  cannot  overcome  natures  laws  and  cause  imperfect  re- 
sults to  become  immediately  perfected  in  spirit,  for  the  law 
governing  every  human  being  on  the  ascending  and  decending 
plane  is  as  infallible  as  it  is  arbitrary;  but  the  bright  side  of  all 
the  great  host  of  this  planet's  humanity  in  the  decending  scale> 
is,  that  the  mental  standard  is  elevated,  and  in  eveiy  case, 
however  low,  immortalized  and  vitalized  beyond  the  capacity 
of  the  mortal  life.  The  perceptive  faculties  are  quickened,  the 
mind  becomes  disciplined  to  appreciate  the  learning,  arb 
music,  sentiment,  beauty  and  love  in  life  as  never  before,  and 
in  this  respect  you  may  say  there  is  eternal  progress,  as  every 
hour  brings  new  interest  and  fresher  knowledge  and  joy  from 
heaven's  everlasting  fountains  from  which  the  weakest  spirit 
may  forever  drink  with  increased  thirst  and  satisfaction. 

You  should  treasure  your  mortal  life  in  your  companion- 
ship and  relations  with  each  other.  Keeping  ever  in  view  the 
truth,  that  the  faces  and  forms  of  those  around  you  are  but 
temporary  to  you  as  types,  for  the  dual  form  in  its  natural  per- 
fection in  spirit  retains  but  faint  resemblance  to  its  original  mor- 
tal companion;  for  it  is  of  the  spirit  spiritual  in  its  mold  of 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  39 

features  and  in  its  peculiar  complexion.  You  may  understand 
it  to  be  a  rule,  that  slight  traces  retain  in  the  ascending  scale 
from  the  most  perfect  mortal  types,  and  are  lost  in  the  decend- 
ing  scale  from  the  imperfect.  Then  treasure  the  memory  of 
the  forms  you  lay  away  in  death  over  which  you  justly  weep; 
for  in  their  immortality  you  may  only  know  them  as  you  can 
carry  with  you  memories  of  the  prior  association  and  circum- 
stances by  which  you  may  joyfully  link  together  your  broken 
chain  of  life. 

LESSON  X. 


EKEECT      UPON      THE     SPHERE    BY    AP- 
PROACH    TO     MORTALS.      EVIL,     SPIRITS. 
THE  THREE  MENTAL  STAGES   IN 
HUMAN 


Q. — Is  not  approach  to  mortals  considered  a  means  of 
strengthening  and  developing  the  sphere  ? 

A. — A  belief  that  such  is  the  truth,  becomes  an  incentive 
which  brings  thousands  to  mediums;  for  the  reason  that  the 
spirit  person  is  brought  to  the  realizing  sense  that  the  mortal 
life  is  the  developing  condition,  and  that  repeated  trials  in  the 
mortalized  state  where  they  partially  or  entirely  take  back  origi- 
nal element  and  senses — may  add  power  to  the  sphere,  or  de- 
velop the  same  for  the  sphereless.  We  have  told  you  that 
very  weak  spheres,  or  even  sphereless  persons  can  reach  mortal 
conditions  by  the  kind  aid  of  those  who  are  independent* 
who  are  always  happy  in  helping  the  weak,  and  such  help  is 
rendered  many  times  in  the  hope  of  beneficial  results. 

Q. — Does  it  appear  that  there  is  a  progress  made  by  such 
returns  ? 

A. — Close  observation  of  an  individual  case  does  not  es- 
tablish the  fact  that  permanent  power  is  gained;  but  upon  re- 
turn to  normal  condition,  the  spirit  person  feels  a  temporary 


40  A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

stimulation  or  exhilaration  which  soon  passes  off,  while  the  mag- 
netic condition  of  the  sphere  remains  unchanged;  but  there  are 
exceptions  where  persons  have  claimed  to  have  felt  a  retaining 
beneficial  effect,  and  while  there  is  this  hope  existing  that  there 
is  the  least  improvement,  it  becomes  a  stimulus  for  repeated 
trials.  This  is  the  principal  reason  why  every  mortal  medium- 
istic  opportunity  is  availed  of,  and  made  a  point  and  occasion 
of  special  effort;  but  it  is  not  altogether  a  selfish  motive  on 
the  part  of  the  spirit  person,  as  many  come  prompted  by  a 
desire  to  inspire  mortals  to  know  the  truth  of  their  spirit  life. 

As  the  brain  and  mind  of  the  new  born  spirit  person  be- 
comes charged  and  illuminated  in  the  spirit  state,  the  memor- 
ies of  the  prior  life — in  a  great  measure — fade  away.  This  is 
especially  true  of  persons  possessing  weak  attributes,  such  per- 
sons feel  a  strong  desire  to  approach,  as  they  understand  that 
the  law  governing  such  approach  gives  them  temporary  res- 
toration of  mortal  memories,  and  it  is  frequently  true  that  traces 
of  these  memories  will  retain  upon  the  mind  as  the  person 
passes  out  of  the  mortalized  condition,  and  by  this  means  men- 
tal connection  is7  permanently  established  between  the  mortal 
and  spirit  life.  You  may  take  it  as  a  rule,  that  mental  retention 
of  prior  life  increases  in  the  ascending  scale,  and  decreases  in 
descending  scale. 

While  our  human  life  implies  two  distinct  states  of  being, 
the  mortal  and  immoital,  it  may  be  considered  that  it  com- 
prises three  distinct  mental  stages,  in  which  the  mind  manifests 
itself  through  different  conditions  of  brain  and  form,  and  in 
different  degrees  of  power.  The  mental  stage  pertaining  to  the 
mortal  we  term  the  basic,  or  first.  The  mediumistic  condition 
which  gives  the  spirit  person — through  approach — the  mortal- 
ized state,  we  term  the  intermediate  mental  stage,  which  con- 
dition is  by  some  spirit  persons  referred  to  as  the  state  of  "re- 
incarnation," from  its  being  in  truth,  a  brief  reinstatement 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  41 

mentally,  and  sometimes  bodily,  of  the  original  mortal  person, 
as  you  have  learned  in  the  previous  lesson  on  tne  laws  of  spirit 
approach.  The  third  and  supreme  mental  stage,  is  the  natural 
home  life  of  the  spirit  person  where  human  form,  brain  power 
and  mentality  attain  absolute  perfection. 

The  law  governing  human  life  gives  the  intermediate  men- 
tal stage  to  every  spirit  person  whenever  approach  is  made  to 
the  mediumistic  condition,  and  it  holds  the  highest  as  well  as 
the  lowest  spirit  being  to  prior  mental  qualitiest  and  character- 
istics while  he  is  in  such  condition,  but  at  the  same  time  en- 
dows him  with  a  special  mental  power  of  penetration  into 
mortal  minds  and  circumstances  which  is  not  possible  in  the 
first  or  third  mental  stages. 

The  secret  divinity  in  the  law  governing  the  intermediate 
mental  stage,  which  gives  the  spirit  person  the  power  to  trace 
the  life  line  of  mortals,  to  read  their  thoughts,  to  offer  wise  ad- 
vice ,  and  trace  with  prophetic  vision  a  mortal's  destiny,  is  a 
problem  in  the  mental  philosophy  of  human  life  that  is  beyond 
the  solution  of  the  highest  intellect  in  the  spiritual  heavens. 

The  intermediate  stage  as  you  now  learn  implies  a  special 
mental  power  which  pertains  exclusively  to  itself,  and  is  a 
blessing  from  the  divine  law  which  governs  us  as  human  beings; 
and  inasmuch  as  it  is  through  the  divine  law  that  such  con- 
ditions have  existence,  these  blessings  and  advantages  should 
be  held  as  sacred  above  abuses  and  ridicule.  The  law  which 
makes  the  intermediate  stage  possible  decides  for  special  good 
uses  for  humanity.  You  should  hold  all  natural  laws  govern- 
ing your  human  life  as  sacred,  and  if  you  will  not  so  regard 
the  manifestation  that  come  to  you,  you  should  at  least  re- 
spectfully regard  the  divine  law  which  provides  them,  for 
divine  nature  has  no  evil  laws,  and  the  higher  you  ascend  the 
scale  of  human  life,  the  greater  will  be  your  love  of  nature, 
and  your  regard  for  her  laws  governing  your  existence. 


42  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

Q. — A  belief  has  originated  through  mediums  that  there  is 
a  class  of  evil  spirits,  who  are  demoniac  in  actions  and  appear- 
ance. Is  such  the  truth  ? 

A — It  must  be  understood  that  there  is  nothing  demoniac 
or  evil  in  the  heavens.  It  never  entered  there  in  the  actions 
of  any  human  being  however  low  and  degraded  his  mortal  life 
may  have  been;  for  the  birth  of  the  spirit  has  repeated  and 
reformed  him  with  new  impulses  and  emotions — the  same 
being  still  in  individuality;  but  the  vital  spark  of  life  that  has 
gone  out  in  his  weak,  starved  dual  form,  is  the  redeemed  and 
better  quality  of  his  soul  nature,  which  is  triumphant  over 
death,  when  he  or  she  stands  in  the  presence  of  heavenly 
beings,  typeless,  sphereless  and  humiliated;  but  there  is  com- 
bined joy  and  grief  as  they  realize  their  unexpected  immorta- 
lity, and  behold  the  beatitude  of  the  beings  around  them, 
who  with  tender  words  of  sympathy  seek  to  comfort  and  heal 
the  aching  heart. 

Divine  Nature  never  created  evil,  only  indirectly.  It  is  de- 
cidedly a  mortal  human  production,  and  evil  men,  in  evil 
actions — mortal  devils  both  real  and  imaginary  are  strictly  of 
mortality,  mortal,  for  in  such  causes  and  effects  there  is  a  per- 
fect non-affinity  between  mortality  and  spirit. 

It  is  true,  however,  that  the  dual  form  while  connected  to 
the  living  mortal  is  effected  by  mortal  thoughts  and  actions, 
and  betrays  in  its  repulsive  features  and  on  its  sphereless  form, 
the  eternal  impress  of  demoniac  thoughts  and  impulses;  but  the 
mortal  pandimonium  of  evil  and  wrongs  it  forever  left  behind, 
when  it  passed  the  portal  which  opened  into  the  heavens, 
where  it  beheld  the  great  contrasts  between  itself  and  the 
humanity  in  the  higher  circles.  Life  has  now  become  a  serious 
consideration,  and  as  an  individual  he  bestirs  himself  to  make 
the  best  of  what  nature  has  done  for  him  by  self  improvement 
and  service  to  others. 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  43 

You  must  not  judge  the  spirit  life  by  the  actions  and  sayings 
of  spirit  persons  in  the  intermediate  mortalized  condition; 
neither  must  you  base  your  entire  spiritual  knowledge  upon 
communications  which  may  come  through  the  abnormal  con- 
dition of  medium  and  spirit. 

Let  this  forever  settle  in  your  mind  this  question  of  evil 
spirits;  for  there  is  no  evil  in  the  heavens — it  cannot  enter 
there. 


LESSON  XI, 


COMPARATIVE        STANDARD     OK       INHABIT- 
ANTS OK     DIKKICRENT    PLANETS. 

CRESCENT  TRIUNE.  THE  PCTWER   OK 

IMAGERY.      THE     SPIRIT 

TRANSITS. 


Q. — How  do  the  inhabitants  of  this  planet  compare  with  the 
same  of  others  ? 

A. — As  far  as  our  knowledge  extends  to  other  planets  they 
are  as  inhabitants  divided  in  type,  language,  and  color  in  in- 
ferior and  superior  classes.  One  planet  may  possess  a  greater 
division  of  the  superior  type;  but  there  is  a  general  limit  of  the 
superior  cast  that  is  reached  by  all  planets,  perhaps  a  greater 
number  in  some  than  in  others.  The  planet  Saturn  can  be  con- 
sidered as  occupying  the  highest  rank  in  respect  to  a  predomi- 
nance of  the  superior  cast;  while  at  the  same  time  they  have  a 
great  proportion  who  do  not  rank  as  high  as  the  superior  types 
of  this  planet;  but  the  inhabitants  of  her  zones  or  rings  are 
very  superior  in  their  mortal  conditions  and  much  enlightened 
in  spiritual  knowledge  which  has  had  a  tendency  to  give  them 
high  rank  in  spirit,  in  greater  numbers  of  both  sexes. 

Q. — Are  we  to  understand  that  human  beings  or  animals  of 
other  planets  differ  from  the  same  of  this  planet  in  general 
characteristics  and  form? 


44  A  VOICE   FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

A. — Nature  is  uniform  and  unvarying  in  all  her  laws  and 
processes,  and  what  constitutes  a  unit  in  form,  or  principle,  or 
condition  in  animated,  or  vegetable  life,  is  paralled  and  re- 
peated throughout  the  universe  of  planets  and  planetary  life; 
for  the  great  heart  of  nature  beats  out  its  germinal  life  principles 
through  the  veins  of  its  stupendous  body,  in  equal,  and  regu- 
lar measures,  in  one  eternal  and  unvarying  circuit. 

Q. — How  do  the,  spiritual  inhabitants  of  this  planet  com- 
pare with  the  sarre  of  others? 

A. — As  all  inhabited  planets  have  their  variation  in  races 
from  low  to  high,  the  effect  must  be  that  all  stellar  zones  must 
be  inhabited  by  a  great  proportion  of  the  lower  classes;  but 
there  has  been  causes  operating  in  many  other  planets  to  pro- 
duce better  spiritual  effects,  and  this  is  especially  the  case  with 
Saturn,  which  has  a  greater  number  of  males  who  have  reached 
the  third  grand  division,  and  many  who  have  reached  the  ex" 
alted  rank,  and  it  has  a  less  number  of  sphereless,  depend- 
ent persons  in  its  stellar  spirit  zones  than  any  other  planet  in 
space;  but  it  is  not  that  nature  had  created  them  as  mortals 
different  in  form,  or  higher  intellectually;  but  that  there  has 
been  those  refining  influences  operating  in  their  midst,  and  the 
absence  of  brutalizing  and  debasing  influences  among  the  male 
sex  which  have  a  tendancy  to  effect  low  spiritual  growth. 

It  is  a  painful  truth  to  know  that  your  planet  has  a  notori- 
ous reputation  abroad  in  the  celestial  zones  for  the  low  spiritual 
standing  of  its  male  inhabitants,  while  a  great  proportion 
of  its  females  have  reached  high  rank. 

Q. — Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  absolute  limit,  or  a 
special  degree  of  personal  development  which  is  not  reached 
even  by  the  exalted  rank  ? 

A. — Three  personage  known  as  the  Crescent  Queens— or  the 
Crescent  Triune — stand  at  the  head  of  the  exalted  rank. 
These  personages  originated  from  the  planet  known  as  Saturn 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  45 

at  a  very  ancient  time,  and  were  in  full  possession  of  their 
marvelous  beauty  and  special  powers  from  the  first  moment  of 
their  spiritual  existence.  As  types  they  are  very  striking  in 
special  natural  marks  of  adornment  of  which  their  star  is 
conspicuous  and  peculiar  to  themselves,  as  up  to  the  present 
time  its  likeness  is  not  known  as  natural  to  any  other  person 
in  the  heavens.  It  consists  of  an  upright  and  inverted  cres- 
cent form  united,  with  the  horns  or  points  inter  and  over-laping 
and  thus  united  forming  a  circle,  which  is  centered  by  a  small 
star  form,  and  surmounted  by  a  third  and  smaller  crescent 
form,  which  completes  the  crescent  star  which  is  itself  a  union 
of  three  cresents  in  one,  with  the  universal  star  and  is  regarded 
as  a  very  mysterous  exception  to  the  general  rule  of  the  female 
star,  which  is  in  star  form  or  pointed.  The  crescent  star  as  it 
is  singular  in  form,  exceeds  all  others  in  size  and  brilliancy, 
and  the  crescent  type  can  be  considered  as  natures  crowning 
work  in  human  form,  and  absolute  perfection  and  supremacy 
in  attributes.  We  do  not  know  their  history  as  mortals,  but 
their  spirit  life  on  its  exalted  plane,  is  an  example  to  you  of 
the  opportunity  which  your  mortal  life  affords  for  reaching  rank 
in  spirit,  which  is  in  reality  beyond  the  power  of  your  mind  to 
imagine. 

Q. — What  are  their  special  attributes  ? 

A. — First:  Greatest  personal  sphere. 

Second:  Greatest  personal  perfection  in  type  and  intelli- 
gence. 

Third:  Greatest  powers  in  music,  possessing  superior 
voices,  in  quality  peculiar  to  themselves. 

Fourth:  Greatest  power  in  imagery;  which  is  a  power 
possessed  in  a  lesser  degree  by  many  persons  of  the  exalted 
rank,  by  which  thought  imagery  takes  form,  as  pictures  or 
visions  reflected  as  from  a  lens.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
mysterious  personal  powers  possessed  by  only  a  few,  and  is  an 


46  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

illustration  of  the  power  of  thought  as  a  vital  elemental  princi- 
ple in  our  human  nature,  and  a  force  which  reveals  externally 
its  original  embodiment. 

Fifth:  Greatest  power  in  spiral  motion,  by  which  they 
travel  easily  all  celestial  veins  and  spaces. 

Sixth:  Perfect  knowledge  of  all  celestial  and  stellar  zones 
and  spiral  lines,  situations,  directions,  histories  and  conditions 
of  inhabitants. 

Seventh:  Greatest  powers  in  love,  as  by  their  usefulness  to 
humanity  they  attract  universal  love  and  adoration.  They  per- 
sonally supreintend  all  grand  transits  from  stellar  to  celestial 
zones,  and  in  all  transits  are  entirely  depended  upon;  as  their 
great  sphere  power  and  knowledge  of  the  heavens  can  alcne 
inspire  confidence  in  those  who  are  able  to  follow  them. 

Q. — Do  they  visit  our  stellar  zones? 

A. — They  do,  as  well  as  all  other  conditions  on  tours  of  in- 
spection and  missions  of  goodness,  with  words  of  cheer  and 
comfort  to  the  weak  in  spirit. 

Q. — Has  any  recent  transits  been  made  from  our  stellar 
zones  under  their  guidance? 

A. — Only  one  grand  transit  has  ever  been  made,  and  that 
at  a  very  distant  date,  although  they  have  conducted  small 
groups  at  different  times. 

You  understand  that  transits  over  spiral  lines,  can  only  be 
made  by  those  possessing  spiral  motion  and  by  the  average 
classes^  only  in  great  numbers,  for  the  reason  that  a  great 
number  overcome  the  rapid  attraction  which  excessively  can- 
not be  endured  by  the  average  sphere. 

It  must  be  understood  that  there  is  a  great  proportion  of  the 
stellar  zone  inhabitants  of  average  sphere-power,  who  have 
their  abiding  places,  friends,  and  associations  which  make  these 
conditions  very  dear  to  them,  and  the  great  depth  of  space 
which  intervens  between  the  stellar  and  celestial  zones,  makes 


OR   STELLAR  AND   CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  47 

it  seem  as  though  separation  from  accustomed  surroundings > 
and  familiar  faces,  would  be  a  permanent  one,  which  is  true  in 
most  cases;  although  many  return  to  revisit  old  homes  and 
friends;  yet  all  who  possess  spiral  motion  can  appreciate  that 
the  culmination  in  heavenly  advantages  and  beauty,  is  in  the 
superior  natural  refinement  of  the  surface  and  scenery,  and  the 
colored  ethers  of  the  celestial  zones;  also  the  superior  refine- 
ment in  art  and  architecture,  and  that  the  ability  to  make  the 
transit  to  one  celestial  zone  or  world,  implies  the  ability  to 
reach  another,  and  to  travel  all  communicating  veins. 

These  greater  heavenly  advantages  inspire  many  to  become 
members  of  the  great  company  which  is  now  forming,  which  is 
not  of  sufficient  numbers  and  may  not  be  for  years  to  come; 
but  the  anticipated  grand  transit  impells  great  numbers  to  avail 
every  opportunity  for  practice  in  the  ethers  of  the  nearest  spiral 
vein  at  short  distances. 

We  would  be  happy  to  swell  the  number  to  many  millions. 
We  would  that  there  was  no  disability  in  the  person  of  a  sin- 
gle human  being,  which  would  prevent  him  or  her  from  enjoy- 
ing to  the  fullest  extent  the  advantages  of  the  heavenly  life. 

Q. — You  speak  of  the  power  of  imagery  as  being  a  gift 
peculiar  to  certain  persons.  In  what  respect  does  this  power 
differ  in  different  persons  and  why  should  one  person  possess 
it  and  not  another? 

A. — The  power  of  imagery  differs  in  individuals,  in  respect 
to  strength,  color,  and  motion  of  the  external  form,  picture,  or 
vision,  which  originates  in  the  thought  and  mind  of  the  person 
as  a  special  thought,  volition  or  will  power. 

The  imagery  of  the  crescent  queens  takes  natural  strength  of 
color  and  size  of  the  though t^object  or  scenery,  also,  motion 
and  sound  by  which  the  vision  or  imagery  appears  true  to  nature. 
Motion — by  which  the  thought-imagery  shows  objects  in  nat- 
ural motion.  Sound — by  which  sounds  accompanying  natural 


48  A    VOICE  FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

scenery  or  objects,  are  distinctly  heard.  The  latter  power  of 
sound  imagery  coupled  with  superior  voices  constitutes  the 
crescent  queens,  great  power  in  music,  as  they  image  out  mys- 
terious music  at  will,  which  takes  sound  at  whatever  point  in 
space  the  harmonious  thought  is  centered,  which  is  true  of  all 
magery  that  it  takes  where  the  thought  carries  it. 

The  nearest  approach  to  the  queens  in  this  power  is  the 
ability  to  image  natural  size,  and  distinct  outline  of  the  thought- 
form,  but  without  color,  or  motion,  or  sound,  and  the  next  ap- 
proach is  diminution  in  size,  etherial  or  indistinct  outline, 
without  sound  or  motion,  and  the  next,  those  who  image  very 
etherial  outline  and  muchless  the  natural  size. 

You  ask  why  this  is  a  special  power  in  possession  of  the  few. 
In  these  lessons  we  have  endeavored  to  show  you,  that  the 
Divine  law  which  works  through  our  human  nature,  compen- 
sates in  superior  type  and  attributes  in  spirit,  each  mortal  life 
of  beauty,  purity  and  refinement.  These  are  the  basic  princi- 
ples in  mortal  growth  which  yield  rich  results  in  spirit,  and 
which  are  not  realized  in  the  personal  spirit  of  the  mortal  life 
which  is  directly  -negative  to  such  qualifications.  We 
may  say,  that  the  mind  is  the  conductor  of  these  elemen- 
tal thought  principles,  and  upon  this  conductor  the  dual  form 
depends  for  the  vitality  and  nourishment  which  it  needs  to  un- 
fold it  in  its  .natural  perfection. 

There  are  causes  in  mortal  life,  in  cases  of  superior  birth 
and  culture  which  tend  to  develop  high  spirit  type, 'and  the 
fact  that  such  excelence  always  combines  superior  sphere  and 
star,  with  proportionate  strong  brain  and  mind,  is  the  only  rea- 
son I  can  give  you  why  some  possess  the  power  of  imagery 
and  others  do  not. 

I  speak  of  these  examples  of  thought-power,  in  order  that  you 
may  realize  the  potency  of  thought  as  an  element,  which  as  a 
cause,  leaves  its  effects  in  tangible  impressions  and  reflections. 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  49 

Are  you  not  acquainted  with  the  truth  that  the  thought  of 
the  mother  will  effect  the  embryotic  form  of  the  child  ?  Then 
how  much  more  sensitive  is  the,  dual  form  to  thought  impres- 
sions, and  how  much  more  liable  and  certain  is  it  to  carry 
with  it  in  its  comparative  weak  and  sphereless  form  the  effects 
of  brutalizing  and  degrading  thoughts. 

It  is  true  that  there  are  circumstances  of  birth,  which  naturally 
produce  weak  mortal  type;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  true  that 
if  they  could  be  surrounded  with  refining  influences,  and  dis- 
ciplined to  have  white  thoughts  instead  of  dark  ones,  they 
would  show  a  marked  improvement  in  spirit  type;  for  our 
white,  bright,  tender  thoughts  pertain  to  our  higher  nature  and 
are  the  fertilizers  which  add  strength  and  beauty  to  the  dual 
form.  Then  again,  there  are  examples  of  superior  birth  in 
many,  who — like  the  rose  of  your  garden  which  is  superior  in 
type,  color,  and  fragrance,  through  superior  generative  condit- 
ions,— go  through  life  by  force  of  necessity  under  refining 
thoughts  and  influences,  who  reach  a  high  standard  of  soirit 
development;  while  at  the  same  time  such  high  birth  types  may 
become  spiritually  injured  by  low  and  vicious  thoughts  and 
habits. 

You  have  also  examples  of  the  power  of  thought  in  its  visible 
effects  upon  the  mortal  form,  as  in  many  cases  you  may  read  a 
person's  low  and  vicious  thought,  by  his  gross  exterior  in  form 
and  features,  for  low  and  brutal  thoughts  will  reflect  their  im- 
agery in  brutal  faces,  forms  and  manners;  then  how  much 
more  must  they  effect  the  sensitized  dual  form,  which  under 
the  stimulus  of  its  natural  element  of  growth— through  some 
pure  thought — would  seek  to  reach  its  heaven  in  natural  spiritual 
perfection. 

Thought  is  the  degenerator,  or  the  regenerator  of  spiritual 
attributes,  just  as  it  becomes  the  positive  in  high,  strong,  pure 
emotions  and  impulses,  or  the  negative  in  the  direct  opposite  to 
such  qualites,  and  by  this  you  see  that  it  is  the  man  and  wo- 
man builder  in  its  element  of  pure  white  thoughts,  which  attract 
the  fertilizing  dew  of  heaven,  which  nourishes  and  unfolds  your 
spirit  form  in  excellence  of  type,  and  adorns  you  a  fitting  sub- 
ject for  your  home  immortal. 


,   II. 


CHAPTER  I. 


SPIRITUAL,  DKGKN  ERACY;  CAUSES  ANE> 
REM1CDIKS. 


Q. — What  are  the  causes  in  the  past  and  in  the  present 
which  have  had  a  tendency  to  effect  weak  spiritual  development 
of  the  male  sex? 

A. — There  are  three  causes,  the  first  of  which  I  will  mention 
is  money.  This  the  mortal  family  recognize  as  one  direct 
cause  of  misery  and  degradation,  but  have  considered  effects 
only  in  the  limitation  of  mortal  life. 

From  what  we  have  said  in  relation  to  thought,  as  a  vital 
elemen^  you  may  realize  how  the  pursuit  of  money  being  the 
all-absorbing  thought  of  the  masses  of  men,  it  becomes — -in 
thought,  a  constitutional  element  of  their  compound — a  pre- 
dominating trait  of  character,  so  much  so  that  it  is  repeated  in 
the  offspring  through  family,  or  nation,  and  the  effects  are  visi. 
ble  in  the  manners  and  features  of  men,  who  intrigue  plot  and 
murder.  It  is  the  spiritual  devitalizer,  which  through  every 
decade  of  this  planet's  human  history  has  in  retrogressive 
measures  lowered  the  spiritual  standard  of  a  great  proportion 
of  the  male  sex,  who  have  appealed  as  typeless  and  sphereless 
paupers  and  beggars  at  the  doorway  of  heaven. 

Thousands  of  males  devote  their  entire  thought  and  brain 
force  to  the  accumulation  of  what  they  term  wealth,  and  in  such 
mental  limitation,  all  the  higher  emotions  of  the  soul  are  lost, 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  51 

and  men  follow  in  little  grooves  in  the  service  of  money,  who 
are  comparatively  the  most  pitiable  objects  of  spirit  humanity. 

In  this  war  for  money,  the  female  sex  does  not  seem  to  be 
effected  to  a  marked  extent,  for  it  is  not  the  absorbing  thought 
with  her,  and  she  has  sang,  laughed  and  wept,  while  men  have 
planned,  plundered  and  murdered. 

We  have  no  remedies  to  suggest:  they  lie  within  yourselves. 
The  example  anciently  set  is  deep  seated  in  your  system,  and 
we  scarcely  hope  that  your  future  will  be  marked  by  any  change. 
Your  pursuit  of  money,  and  possession  of  unnecessary  wealth, 
becomes  to  you  a  mortal,  personal  success,  and  results  in  your 
spiritual  personal  failure. 

As  a  man  do  you  wish  success  in  life  ?  The  greatest  success 
is  to  be  achieved  in  the  life  which  is  enduring  to  which  you 
should  aim  and  aspire  as  the  supreme  objective  condition  of 
your  existence. 

Do  you  desire  lands  and  riches  ?  The  universe  is  yours 
with  all  that  it  contains,  if  you  but  develop  spiritual  attributes 
to  attain  to  it,  and  there  is  none  to  dispute  your  right. 

Another  cause  of  male  decline,  is  intemperance,  which  is  as. 
sociated  with  money  as  a  cause. 

Please  mark — -any  intoxicating  effect  upon  the  mind  which 
renders  it  unnaturally  abnormal,  and  disturbs  the  natural  eqil- 
ibrium  and  course  of  thought,  if  protracted,  will  reflect  upon  the 
brain  of  the  companion  dual  form,  and  effect  spiritual,  mental 
weakness  just  in  proportion  to  the  excess  and  abuse.  Transi- 
tions through  chronic  cases  of  intemperance  have  resulted  in 
permanent  spirit  mental  weakness. 

You  have  learned  in  the  foregoing  lessons  that  high  spirit 
type  implies  strong  brain  and  illuminated  mentality.  Your 
planet  has  sent  to  the  heavens  men  who  were  powerful  in  mor- 
tal life — in  mentality  and  brain  power — who  are  comparatively 
weak  in  spirit,  for  the  dual  form  and  brain  were  not  nourished 
by  the  thought  element  necessary  to  build  up  type  and  brain 
power  in  spirit. 


52  A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS. 

The  third  in  order  of  causes,  is  murder.  We  desire  you  to 
realize  the  importance  of  this  truth :  Mark — the  extreme  sen- 
sitiveness of  the  brain  and  nervous  system  of  the  spirit  person, 
renders  the  senses  very  acute  in  thought-emotions  of  pleasure 
or  pain,  and  the  memories  of  violence  to  the  mortal  nervous 
system  resulting  in  personal  transition,  or  the  same  of  others, 
retain  a  lasting  shock  upon  the  spirit's  mind;  for  as  the  im- 
mortal form  is  perfected,  so  is  the  nervous  system  and  all  the 
senses,  and  functions  quickened  and  intensified. 

Mark — the  memories  of  human  murder  retain  an  everlast- 
ing shock  to  the  spiritualized  senses  of  the  perpetrator,  in  a  liv- 
ing consciousness  which  mars  the  life  which  can  only  be  per- 
fected in  its  beatitude,  when  it  is  pure  and  guiltless. 

From  the  standpoint  of  spirit,  as  spirit  persons,  we  have  un- 
bounded resources  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  Wherever 
we  explore  nature  in  quest  of  her  hidden  treasures  we  find  her 
keys  which  unlock  the  entrances  which  reveal  to  us  her  laws 
and  processes,  but  the  thought  that  any  living  human  being 
endowed  with  the  prerogative  which  entitles  him  to  become 
an  immortal  spirit,  can  contemplate  and  carry  into  execution 
the  act  of  secret  or  public  murder,  is  a  mystery,  which  to  us,  is 
as  impenetrable  as  it  is  dark  and  damning. 

If  there  is  a  personal  divinity  in  human  form  who  works 
through  law  we  have  not  found  her.  We  only  see  humanity 
in  the  ascending  scale,  in  grandeur  and  power  beyond  the  con- 
ception of  the  average  mortal,  and  of  all  persons,  the  exalted 
spirit  would  refrain  from  superstition;  but  so  exacting  and  arbi- 
trary is  the  law — through  its  creation  and  government  of  all 
things — in  its  demands  upon  certain  principles  and  processes 
of  growth  and  so  reactory  when  law  is  violated,  and  such  prin- 
ciples are  wanting,  that  it  becomes  difficult  for  us  to  separate 
intelligence  from  law,  which  has  as  its  manifest  design  through 


OR    STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  53 

a  certain  system  of  unfoldment,  the  elevation  of  every  human 
being  to  the  highest  natural  limit  of  perfection  in  beauty  and 
power. 

Mark — the  carnival  of  human  murder  which  has  prevailed 
upon  this  planet  from  early  times  up  to  the  present,  under 
various  circumstances  of  secret  and  authorized  murder,  and 
wars,  has  shocked  the  spiritual  universe  and  filled  the  souls  of 
millions  of  victims  with  sorrow  and  branded  the  instigators 
and  actors  with  humiliation,  dishonor  and  disgrace. 

Never  has  a  victim  or  an  actor  in  this  planet's 
bloody  orgies  escaped  his  identity  and  individuality  in  spirit, 
where  in  a  life  of  human  love  and  purity  the  memories  as  vic- 
tims or  perpetrators,  fill  their  being  with  unutterable  horror. 

Mark — the  absolute  disregard  of  human  life,  coupled  with 
mens'  love  for  human  misery  and  the  sight  of  human  blood — 
the  general  effects  of  the  indifference  with  which  the  masses  of 
men  regard  the  violent  death  of  a  human  being — has  taken  the 
form  of  a  constitutional  blight,  or  curse,  which  would  almost 
seem  to  stand  over  the  spiritual  ascendency  of  the  innocent  as 
well  as  the  guilty. 

So  arbitrary  are  the  demands  of  the  law  of  our  being  upon 
certain  thought  elemental  principles  of  unfoldment,  that  to  know 
that  a  mortal  human  being  can,  under  any  circumstances  die 
by  the  cruel  hand  of  his  brother  man,  is  to  almost  take  on  the 
vengeance  of  the  law  which  follows  the  perpetrator. 

In  the  past  life  of  this  planet's  mortal  race,  from  the  first 
moment  when  a  man  could  endure  the  sight  of  human  blood, 
and  tolerate  human  misery,  the  law  had  begun  its  retrogressive 
work  in  the  male  sex.  It  retaliated  for  brutal  actions,  by  giving 
back  brutal,  mortal  forms  and  features;  and  blighted,  sphere 
less  types  in  spirit. 

The  excuse  of  authority  vested  in  individual,  or  government, 
to  take  life,  does  not  shield  the  perpetrators  from  the  reactory 


54  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

effect  of  the  law,  which,  unconscious  to  themselves,  leaves  its 
.blight;  for  the  mental  condition  of  conscientiousness,  is  proof 
of  indifference  and  disregard  of  human  life  and  condition  of  de- 
cline under  the  law,  which  is  no  respecter  of  persons  or  circum- 
stances. 

Mark — there  was  never  any  glory  or  honor  in  any  person  or 
government  that  was  purchased  at  the  price  of  human  blood. 
Nations  may  have  believed  that  they  were  in  possession  of 
glory  for  which  they  paid  dead  mortal  forms  by  thousands,  but 
their  glory  was  false  and  the  instigators  and  actors  of  hellish 
carnival  in  years  agone,  walk  the  heavens  in  shame  and  sor- 
row. Not  that  any  Deity,  or  revenger  in  person  stands  over 
them,  but  as  they  behold  the  sweet  sympathetic  humanity  in 
spirit,  they  are  horrified  that  any  human  mortal  being — fond  of 
its  life,  all  of  which  it  needed  in  which  to  grow — could  be  so 
cruelly  silenced  and  deprived  of  any  contingent  advantage 
which  the  mortal  life  might  afiord. 

True  human  sympathy  and  love,  are  the  fundamental  vital 
principles  of  our  spiritual  growth,  and  nature  had  given  these 
qualities  to  mortal  humanity,  but  the  past  history  of  your  planet 
has  shown  that  the  male  sex  did  not  appreciate  them. 

You  have  already  learned  from  us  that  thought  will  reflect 
its  imagery.  What  has  been  the  result  ?  That  from  the  begin, 
ning  of  human  murder,  men  began  to  be  ferocious  in  actions 
and  in  personal  appearance,  until  human  slaughter  became  a 
pleasure,  and  human  blood  a  feast  and  so  on  down  to  the  last 
years  of  your  planet's  history  when  human  murder  has  become 
an  art  in  high  life  and  men  have  been  decorated  with  title  and 
educated  in  its  science  and  crowned  with  false  honors. 

You  say  that  the  sacrifice  of  mortal  forms  was  necessary  for 
the  preservation  of  national  character  ! 

You  dare  not  say  it  in  the  face  of  heaven,  which  has  set  its 
seal  of  condemnation  upon  every  act  of  murder  that  ever  dis- 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  55 

graced  and  dishonored  this  bloody  planet,  and  covered  the 
perpetrators,  authorized  or  unauthorized,  with  spiritual  infamy. 

So  much  has  this  inhumanity  prevailed  that  it  becomes  a 
mark  which  is  transmitted  from  generation  to  generation.  It 
becomes  early  ingrained  in  the  compound  of  the  boy,  who  rea- 
lizes that  human  murder  is  a  constitutional  part  of  the  life  he  is 
living,  for  he  sees  it  in  the  past,  and  in  the  present  men  be- 
come public  executioners  and  hideous  secret  assassins  in  every 
walk  and  by-way  of  life,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  redeeming 
side  of  this  humanity  we  believe  that  the  law  of  retributive 
justice  would  have  long  ago  turned  the  heavens  black  in  the 
face  of  this  planet  and  pronounced  it  a  failure;  but  thanks  to 
Divine  Nature  that  would  never  close  its  doors  of  heaven 
against  the  poorest  spirit  while  a  bright  star  may  be  found  to 
adorn  its  paradise. 

The  effect,  of  the  disregard  of  human  life  arevisible  in  your 
rush  and  war  for  money,  when  you  crush  poor  mortal  forms  to 
death  and  plunge  over  them  in  a  hot  haste,  which  becomes  to 
you  a  spiritual  waste  and  ruin. 

This  disregard  of  the  sacredness  of  life,  through  the  funda- 
mental possibility  in  man's  nature  to  murder,  or  sanction  the 
same,  is  the  basic  condition  of  the  thought  which  has  per- 
meated the  male  character  until  man,  in  his  contact  and  rela- 
tions with  his  fellow  man,  became  fierce,  domineering  and 
overbearing;  until  it  has  been  that  ferocity  in  features  and  man 
ners  is  considered  a  manly  accomplishment,  and  masculine 
vulgarity  and  abuse  commendable  traits  of  character. 

The  rush  and  hurry  you  are  in  is  another  component  part  of 
the  devitalizer  which  is  sapping  your  spiritual  life,  for  you  speed 
in  business,  and  from  one  point  to  another,  only  to  at  last  rea- 
lize that  to  have  gone  slowly  and  quietly — conscious  that  life 
to  you  is  an  endless  store — would  have  given  you  better 
growth  for  your  eternal  home,  and  more  usefulness  in  the  mor- 
tal life. 


56  A  VOICE  FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

You  have  now  been  sufficiently  enlightened  as  to  the  spirit- 
ual person's  regard  for  the  mortal  life  as  being  the  condition  of 
unfoldment  of  spirit  attributes,  and  the  horror  in  which  they 
view  all  unnatural  destruction  of  such  life;  and  this  voice  from 
the  heavens  is  only  a  repetition  of  the  many  voices  that  have 
endeavored  to  reach  this  humanity  during  all  ages  of  its  exist- 
ence in  the  warning  words  "you  must  not  kill-"  but'the^voices 
have  not  been  heeded,  and  the  heavenly  light  that  would  shine 
through  to  mortals  has  been  obscured  by  the  dark  cloud  of 
crime  and  grief. 

We  tried  through  the  best  means  at  our  disposal  to  make 
men  comprehend  that  there  are  celestial  heavens  of  surpass- 
ing beauty  which  can  be  reached  only  by  special  attributes 
which  must  be  born  with  the  spirit  person,  and  that  such  attri- 
butes are  wanting  in  the  person  whose  life  is  impelled  by  dark 
thoughts  and  actions. 

In  the  female  mind  the  thought  of  wilful  murder  seldom 
enters.  In  the  past,  while  it  has  taken  place,  she  has  shud- 
dered and  fainted,  and  perhaps  at  times  sanctioned  it,  as  the 
force  of  circumstances  had  made  her  a  subject  to  the  male,  to 
whose  brutal  life  and  manners  she  has  assented,  and  thought 
that  his  ferocity  was  natural,  and  endured  it  with  patience  and 
forbearance. 

To  the  male  sex  we  say  :  do  you  want  a  Savior  and  Re- 
deemer ?  She  walks  with  you  eternally,  and  it  is  only  through 
her,  in  imitation  of  her  pure  thought  and  [life,  that  you  may 
hope  to  attain  the  growth  which  will  give  you  type  and  rank 
in  spirit;  for  she  carries  within  her  life  that  compound  of 
Divinity  which  reaches  to  highest  heavens. 

Combine  your  strong  manhood  with  her  purity  of  thought 
and  manners,  and  you  will  unite  two  elements  of  growth  which 
will  make  you  strong  in  mortality,  and  give  you  type  and  rank 
in  spirit. 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  57 

Do  you  aspire  to  personal  popularity  and  rank  ?  The  lines 
of  rank  in  spirit  are  drawn  by  nature,  and  your  spiritual  stand- 
ing is  determined  by  your  type  in  attributes  which jnake  you  a 
desirable  and  useful  member  of  spiritual  society.  The  very 
least  that  nature  does  for  you  is  to  give  you  more  than  what 
you  were  as  a  mortal ;  but  without  type  and  sphere-power  you 
are  a  mere  unnoticed  drop  in  the  vast  ocean  of  humanity  around 
you. 

Do  you  aspire  to  prominence  in  life  ?  Then  aspire  to  that 
which  is  of  the  spirit,  which  endures  with  you  forever. 

Do  you  love  the  female  sex  in  your  mortal  life?  Then 
cling  to  her  in  her  superior  life,  that  you  may  absorb  some  of 
the  divinity  that  carries  her  to  heavens  you  may  not  reach,  for 
as  she  is  your  guiding  star  in  mortal  life,  so  is  she  your  queen 
in  the  heavens,  on  whom  you  must  depend  for  aid. 

Cling  to  your  female  sex  in  all  that  she  is  true  to  her  nature, 
and  scorn  to  degrade  her  or  wrong  her,  and  let  the  light  shine 
into  your  soul  which  lights  her  up  the  heavenly  way,  that  you 
too  may  follow  her  in  the  exalted  society  and  offices  in  which 
nature  has  placed  her  in  love  and  labor  for  humanity,  and 
from  her  highest  throne  in  the  heavens  she  beckons  you  to 
come. 

It  'is  true  that  this  planet  has  sent  many  noble  males  who  are 
exalted  in  their  spiritural  state,  who  lived  to  good  thoughts, 
actions  and  purposes,  but  the  female  has  gone  beyond  the 
masses  of  the  male  in  vast  proportions,  and  the  highest  stand- 
ard of  the  male  does  not  contain  a  single  representative  in  the 
celestial  zones,  while  the  female  is  represented  by  thousands;  but 
it  is  hoped  that  many  males  will  be  able  to  make  the  next 
grand  transit ;  but  the  law  is  arbitrary  in  the  necessary  require- 
ment of  sphere-power,  and  such  power  you  want,  and  such  you 
may  have  through  the  requisite  mortal  growth  and  spiritual  un- 
foldment, 


58  A  VOICE   FROM   THE    HEAVENS 

You  cannot  afford  to  be  the  average  male  in  order  to  reach 
the  female  in  spirit ;  for  if  she  be  but  average,  she  will  go  be- 
yond you ;  for  nature  perfects  her  in  superior  type  without  an- 
effort  on  her  part,  while  you  are  left  entirely  alone  to  reach 
your  ascendency  and  mate-hood  with  her  only  by  a  hard  strug- 
gle and  a  severe  test  of  purity  in  thought  and  life. 

Does  your  female  companion  yield  you  love,  pleasure  and 
happiness  in  mortal  life?  Then  you  want  that  bliss  in  spirit. 
Mark — the  law  governing  your  social  and  sexual  union  inspirit 
is  arbitrary.  You  cannot  touch  the  hand  or  garment,  or  kiss 
the  lips  of  her  you  have  loved  or  may  love,  unless  you  blend 
or  affinitize  with  her  in  sphere.  There  are  no  partial  ap- 
proaches there  must  be  perfect  union  in  size  and  power  ; 
otherwise  there  is  a  non-affinity  of  elements  which  will  not 
unite,  and  the  effect  is  simply  sphere  repulsion. 

Now  you  have  heard  the  truth  gently  broken  of  the  causes 
which  divide  you  in  spirit.  We  have  told  these  truths  for  your 
good ;  for  it  is  all  of  heaven's  happiness  you  want,  in  all  of  its 
glorious  advantages.  You  are  needed  and  loved  in  the  high 
female  societies,  but  she  cannot  receive  you  there  unless  you 
reach  her  in  type ;  for  there  is  no  money  with  which  bestiality 
may  purchase  beauty.  There  is  no  wealth  only  in  personal 
type,  for  there  are  spirit  lands  by  the  square  mile  and  palaces 
by  the  thousand  to  give  way. 

There  is  no  stigma  which  nature  originally  places  against 
you  as  a  sex,  for  she  has  given  you  strong  manhood  and  nerve 
to  endure  superior  mental  and  physical  labor  in  mortal  life, 
while  she  has  given  you  all  the  tender  and  refining  qualities  of- 
the  female,  but  you  have  not  used  these  qualities  to  your  ad- 
vantage. Neither  has  nature  shown  you  less  preference — in  con- 
trast with  other  planets — in  original  form  and  intelligence,  and 
by  raising  your  standard  above  the  opposite  and  negative  plane 
to  the  females  you  may  rise  as  high  as  the  males  of  Saturn. 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  59 

It  is  a  prevailing  belief,  however,  in  the  most  intelligent  spir- 
itual circles  that  there  is  a  line  of  Superior  Divinity  in  the 
female  sex  which  leads  her  to  rank  and  power,  which  the  male 
cannot  at  best  attain ;  for  it  is  known  that  he  has  but  seldom 
from  the  most  enlightened  planet  reached  the  exalted  rank,  and 
up  to  the  present  time  has  not  made  an  approach  to  the  Cres- 
cent Queens  and  their  immediate  union. 

In  the  very  first  appearance  of  the  female  after  her  tran- 
sition, as  a  rule,  she  becomes  the  strong  positive  character 
with  powerful  brain  and  illuminated  mentality  and  perfection 
in  type  which  the  male  but  seldom  attains ;  but  the  average 
limitation  reached  by  the  female  sex  can  be  reached  by  the 
male  in  great  proportions  through  requisite  mortal  growth. 

We  know  that  the  male  sex  of  your  planet  have  arrogated  to 
themselves  very  high  atributes,  and  sat  upon  very  high  t  empo 
ral  thrones,  and  presumed  to  hold  the  keys  out  to  this  planet's 
humanity,  by  which  with  their  permission  they  might  open  the 
doors  of  heaven.  They  have  set  up  a  personal  Deity  of  their 
own  sex  whom  they  claim  has  adopted  them  as  his  special 
agents  ;  but  this  marvelous  presumption  and  conceit  and  ap- 
propriated divinity  in  the  male  sex  is  strictly  limited  to  the 
mortal  life  and  "of  the  earth,  earthy,"  and  when  at  last  he 
stands  in  the  midst  of  heaven's  humanity  he  realizes  his  com- 
parative insignificance. 

The  stem  which  grows  in  barren  soil  will  fail  to  bud  and 
bloom  the  rose  it  bears  in  its  natural  perfection  in  color  and 
form ;  so,  low  intelligence,  thoughts  and  actions,  are  the  bar- 
ren conditions  through  which  nature  fails  to  grow  perfect  spirit 
type. 

It  is  frequently  the  case  that  beings  of  striking  spiritual 
beauty  and  powers  will  suddenly  burst  upon  the  spiritual  hori- 
zon, to  the  surprise  and  admiration  of  the  vast  world  around 
them,  possessing  such  distinct  marks  of  excellence  that  it 


60  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

would  seem  as  though  some  fairy  had  dropped  them  suddenly 
from  her  secret  paradise.  They  had  given  nature  an  oppor- 
tunity to  display  her  fancy  freaks  of  adornment.  They  had 
gone  quietly,  sweetly,  with  such  white  thoughts,  such  innocence, 
such  sensitiveness  that  the  mortal  life  could  not  contain  them, 
and  they  sought  their  natural  condition  in  the  heavens,  as  a 
flower  would  seek  to  untold  its  fragrant  form  in  the  sunlit  at- 
mosphere. 

By  what  you  have  learned  of  the  spiritual  standing  of  this 
planet's  inhabitants  you  have  based  your  conclusions  that  the 
stellar  zones  must  always  contain  a  vast  number  who  by  reason 
of  weak  sphere-power  cannot  by  any  possible  means  cross  the 
great  spaces  to  the  celestial  zones ;  yet  in  this  stellar  condition 
there  are  great  advantages  and  means  of  happiness  and  useful 
ness ;  but  if  you  are  a  male  or  female  possessing  weak  attributes 
you  must  be  contented  to  be  forever  limited,  for 

Just  as  you  come  a  sphere, 

So  you  always  will  appear  ; 

Just  as  you  come  a  type 

In  perfection  rich  and  ripe, 

So  will  you  in  heaven  above 

Share  its  happiness  and  love. 

We  have  told  you  that  nature  will  not  grow  attributes  for  you 
in  spirit  life  as  you  come  through  natural  maturity  of  years,  and 
we  have  told  you  in  the  past,  through  the  best  means  at 
our  command,  that  you  must  build  up  your  heaven  within  your 
mortal  life;  but  you  have  not  comprehended  us.  Now  the 
lesson  comes  to  you  again  in  your  own  language  plainly  spoken. 
Will  you  heed  it  ? 

Nature  never  intended  the  stellar  zones  to  be  but  a  tempor- 
ary resting  place  for  the  risen  spirit  in  its  flight  from  earth  to 
highest  heavens  ;  but  we  weep  when  we  tell  you  that  the  harvest 
of  humanity  that  the  celestial  worlds  would  reap  as  ripe  and 
fitting  for  their  fairer  homes,  rots  and  blights  by  millions. 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS.  6 1 

Must  we  forever  be  dealing  with  the  weak  in  spirit  from  this 
planet,  and  wiping  tears  from  eyes  upturned  towards  heavens 
they  can  never  reach  ?  We  say  that  the  power  lies  within  you 
as  mortals  to  avert  such  unhappy  effects,  while  in  the  garden 
spot  of  your  existence,  by  cultivating  the  tender  human  buds 
that  uplift  towards  heavenly  skies  that  they  may  bloom  sweet 
perfect  flowers  in  paradise. 

CHAPTER  II. 


THE    ANCIENT  ROMANS;     THE     IXDST    ADONIS. 


Q. — Was  there  a  time  in  the  life  of  this  planet  when  the 
male  sex  were  in  better  mortal  and  spiritual  standing? 

A. — The  product  of  the  planet  shows  the  most  superior 
male  types  as  coming  from  a  nation  who  attained  a  very  high 
degree  of  mortal  refinement  and  superiority  in  mortal  type,  and 
with  few  exceptions  the  highest  rank  in  spirit  attained  by  any 
person  from  this  planet  has  been  taken  by  the  female  of  that 
nation. 

It  appears  that  they  were  entirely  swept  from  the  face  of  the 
planet  by  murder,  as  not  a  single  trace  of  the  type  is  found  in 
the  outgrowth  of  this  humanity  at  the  present  time. 

We  believe  that  the  superior  male  spirit  type  of  that  nation 
is  due  to  their  refined  thoughts  and  habits,  and  great  devotion 
to  the  female  sex,  in  whom  they  saw  correctly  the  true  divinity 
in  human  nature.  The  accounts  of  wars  and  murder  attributed 
to  them  by  your  history  are  not  true.  When  the  barbarian  tribes 
swept  down  upon  them,they  were  as  defenceless  as  garden  flowers 
in  the  power  of  a  cyclone,  and  since  their  destruction  there 
has  been  a  steady  decline  in  the  male  type  of  this  planet,  until 
the  Adonis  has  been  lost  amidst  the  degenerating  creative 
tendencies  which  have  brought  the  great  mass  of  the  male  sex 
to  consider  a  military  ferocity  in  looks,  and  austerity  in  manners 


62  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

as  masculine  embelishments  and  accomplishments  ;  but  true 
to  nature,  as  nature  is  true  to  her,  your  Venus  is  still  with  you, 
for  the  moment  her  sex  is  decided,  her  human  life  and  destiny  is 
fixed  above  and  beyond  you  in  spirit,  for  you  to  reach  only  by  a 
determined  effort. 

The  culmination  in  male  degeneracy  and  ferocity  in  the  past 
was  when  he  killed  his  Venus.  Then  he  became  a  human 
monster,  and  brought  the  curse  of  the  law  upon  the  entire  male 
sex. 

Mark — three  of  the  most  exalted  female  personages  in. 
spirit  from  this  planet  were  publicly  and  deliberately  murdered, 
each  at  different  times,  in  the  past  ages.  You  will  excuse  us 
for  being  superstitious  ;  but  there  is  a  divinity  that  works  through 
law  which  holds  the  female  in  its  special  protection  and  favor,  and 
when  those  beings  were  brutally  executed  and  their  once  lovely 
forms  lay  prostrate  in  their  pure  life's  blood — on  each  occasion 
of  these  masculine  acts  of  cruelty — a  mysterious  light,  or  star, 
shot  out  through  the  spaces  and  stopped  before  the  vision  'of 
the  crescent  queens,  who  quickly  followed  the  retreating  light 
which  led  them  across  the  vein  leading  to  this  planet  at  a 
speed  which  could  only  be  endured  by  such  as  they.  The 
risen  spirit  forms  of  those  fair  creatures  had  scarcely  touched 
the  ground  of  the  inter-stellar  zone,  when  they  were  clasped 
in  the  arms  of  the  queens  and  borne  away  to  heavens,  from 
which  they  have  never  returned.  This  is  a  truth  in  spiritual 
history,  and  a  mystery  which  the  queens  themselves  do  not  un- 
derstand ;  but  it  is  a  proof  that  there  is  a  power  in  the  law  of 
creative  forces  that  would  seem  to  say — Thou  shalt  not  dwell 
near  the  mortals  who  can  give  birth  to  crimes  like  these. 
Whether  it  was  owing  to  their  superior  spirit  .type  and  powers 
which  had  created  a  magnetic  sympathy  between  themselves  and 
the  queens,  or  whether  it  was  some  conscious  power  that  works 
through  law,  we  know  not ;  but  this  can  be  a  lesson  to  you  of 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  63 

the  manner  in  which  divine  nature  creates  relationships  in  spirit, 
and  joins  them  in  perfect  union  of  cast  or  type  in  uniform  tem- 
perment  in  sympathy  and  love 

Do  you  want  your  lost  Adonis  ?  Then  you  must  make  him 
by  propagating  white  thoughts,  pure  love  and  impulses,  for 
thought  reflects  its  imagery  upon  the  human  form,  and  makes 
it  bestial  or  beautiful.  Create  your  Adonis,  then  join  him  to 
your  Venus  whom  you  have,  then  you  will  create  an  angel  who 
will  supersede  your  Venus,  and  lead  you  triumphantly  to  highest 
heavens. 

CHAPTER  III. 


NOISE. 


Q. — Are  there  other  causes  which  produce  bad  effects  on 
the  male  spiritual  growth  ? 

A. — I  will  call  your  attention  to  certain  effects  which  are  as 
debilitating  as  they  are  unnecessary,  namely  :  noise,  which  is 
an  unnatural  effect  to  the  spirit,  and  cannot  be  endured,  as 
the  resonant  nature  of  the  others  causes  sound  to  repeat  in 
renerbrations,  and  the  magnetic  currents  are  conductors  which 
carry  sound  to  great  distances.  The  spiritua  sense  of  hearing 
is  very  quick,  and  sensitive,  and  harsh  sounds  are  always 
avoided ;  but  sounds  of  music,  happy  conversation,  and  merri. 
ment  are  the  natural  and  prevailing  noises  in  spirit.  As  there 
is  that  soft  delicacy  in  the  spirit  presence  and  manners,  so  is 
there  that  soft  quietude  in  all  that  is  heard  or  done,  that  not 
one  harsh  souud  might  disturb  the  tranquility  and  musical  har- 
mony which  abides  in  heavenly  nature. 

In  this  habit  of  unnecessary  noise  which  the  male  sex  has 
created  especially  for  himself,  he  has  again  placed  himself  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  female  and  developed  a  distinct  force> 
or  habit,  which  nature  never  intended  he  should  have. 


64  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

In  the  carnivals  cf  murder  noise  became  a  necessary  accom- 
paniment to  wild  bloody  excitement  because  men  saw  in  the 
ferocious  dignity  and  power  of  the  lion  there  was  a  roar,  and 
in  the  mad  bull  there  was  a  bellow. 

You  accompany  your  so  called  glorious  acheivments  with 
the  hoarse  shouts  of  men,  and  roar  of  cannon,  as  if  noise  was 
necessary  to  give  prominence  to  holy  deeds,  and  much  the 
less  those  which  were  inhuman  and  unholy. 

As  if  there  was  not  capacity  for  noise  in  the  human  voice, 
the  air  must  resound  with  explosives,  which  shock  the  delicate 
and  sensitive  mortal. 

It  has  become  necessary  that  you  should  signalize  every 
popular  demonstration  with  noise,  and  are  unsatisfied  until  the 
air  resounds  with  a  din  of  explosives. 

This  acquired  force  of  habit  in  the  male  sex  for  noise,  en- 
ters into  his  mortal  compound  in  effects,  through  which  he 
becomes  boisterous  and  savage  in  manners,  and  finally  he  re- 
gards harsh,  noisy  excitement  with  pleasure,  and  as  an  acquisi- 
tion without  which  there  is  no  success  in  life. 

Personages  whose  position  in  life  might  suggest  better  taste, 
allow  themselves  to  be  greeted  with  noisy  pomp  and  roar  of 
explosives,  as  if  such  had  become  the  only  mortal  means  of 
demonstration  of  regard. 

So  much  has  this  devitalising  habit  entered  into  the  male 
sex,  that  the  child  is  early  taught  that  noise  is  a  necessary 
part  of  his  compound  as  a  mortal,  and  is  given  explosives,  and 
taught  their  meaning  and  representations,  and  he  soon  takes 
on  characteristic  male  boisterousness  and  savagery. 

We  would  that  you  might  have  power  to  see  yourseves  as 
heaven  sees  you  in  these  debilitating  causes  and  effects, through 
which  you  are  tending  down,  instead  of  up  the  plane  on 
which  you  wish  to  go. 

So  much  has  noise  become  a  constitutional  part  of  your  life, 
that  it  is  apparent  in  your  music  and  entertainments.  You 


OF  TI?R 

UN  I VI 


OR   STELLAR   AND    CELSTIAL   WORLDS.  65 

fill  your  music  with  exciting  blandishments  expressive  of  wild 
passion  and  tragedy,  and  fill  your  instrumentation  with  unmu- 
sical instruments.  We  accept  you  have  some  good  melody; 
but  in  coupling  music  with  false  sentiment,  in  violent  and 
excited  strains,  its  true  meaning  is  lost,  as  well  as  the  sense, 
that  true  music,  is  melody  and  harmony,  varied  in  time  and 
scale,  and  when  you  come  to  your  heaven,  you  discover  that  in 
respect  to  music,  as  well  as  other  things,  your  taste  was  false. 

Do  not  sell  your  divine  gift  of  music.  Let  the  people  or 
government  encourage  musical  accomplishment  and  culture 
by  the  award  of  prizes  through  the  contribution  of  the  masses. 
Then  let  your  musie  in  its  best  possible  accomplishment  be  the 
free  gift  to  humanity,  why  should  co-operate  in  the  erection  of 
temples  of  music,  where  all  may  be  free  regardless  of  circum- 
stances to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  this  most  cultivating  thought. 
In  your  system  of  monied  representation  of  your  best  music 
you  limit  its  advantages,  and  influence,  while  the  masses  never 
feel  its  divine  thrill  or  impulses,  in  its  love  and  cultnre. 

You  could  imitate  the  heavens  by  instituting  a  refom  by 
doing  away  with  all  unnecessary  noise  in  all  things,  by  con- 
sidering it  in  bad  taste,  and  set  no  example  before  the  child  of 
tender  years,  by  which  it  can  perceive  that  harsh  and  unneces- 
sary noise  is  a  component  part  of  his  being. 

Let  your  public  demonstratians  be  quiet,  peaceable  and 
harmonious,  and  let  it  become  unpopular  and  considered  bad 
taste  for  people  to  be  greeted  wish  shouts  and  uproar. 

Have  you  honors  to  bestow  upon  others  ?  then  let  such 
respect  and  honors  be  paid  modestly,  quietly  and  tenderly. 

Your  system  of  life  needs  to  betranquilized;  for  you  are  in  a 
ferment  and  fever,  which  is  absorbing  your  spiritual  vitality. 

You  might  imitate  the  heavens  by  frequently  setting  aside  a 
solemnity  da>,  when  all  harsh  noises  should  be  avoided,  for 
snch  quietude  inspires  you  to  think  good  thoughts,  and  rests 
your  tired  brain,  and  thrills  your  being  with  purer  emotions 


66  A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

and  love  of  the  heavens,  which  can  then  draw  nearer  to  you. 
We  do  not  ask  you  to  acquire  habits  of  solemnity;  to  the 
contrary,  you  should  be  buoyant,  sparkling  and  animated,  yet 
at  all  times  consider  your  immortal  life  in  the  spirit  of  solem- 
nity, and  your  coming  transition  as  the  most  serious  and  im- 
portant event  of  your  life;  for  as  a  spiritual  being  in  the 
heavens,  you  soon  must  stand,  as  an  addition  to  its  beautified  and 
beatified  humanity,  when  the  effects  of  the  prior  inner-life  will 
be  apparent  in  your  compound  as  an  individual. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


REMEDIES.       ADVICE    TO     X1ALES 

KEA1ALES.      THE   SF>IRIT'S    PRAYER. 


Q.  Can  you  offer  us  any  remedies  for  the  evils  which  you 
have  mentioned? 

A.  If  this  voice  that  speaks  to  you  could  be  heard  audibly 
by  the  male  inhabitants  of  this  planet,  it  would  be  exacting  and 
emphatic  in  its  demands  upon  their  attention  to  this  duty: 
that  the  relations  between  mortality  and  spirit,  you  must 
respect,  as  you  are  existing  in,  and  controlling  circumstances 
and  causes,  while  the  humanity  on  the  spirit  side  must  ever  be 
in  the  presence  of,  and  dealing  with,  your  effects. 

Mark. — the  divine  law  of  our  human  nature,  which  refuses 
personal  spiritual  prosperity  and  powers,  through  masculine 
impurity  and  savagery,  has  sent  its  curse  upon  the  male  sex  of 
this  planet  through  the  element  of  human  blood. 

In  the  foregoing  lessons,  we  have  shown  you,  how  this  dis- 
regard for  human  life,  has  shed  its  damaging  influence  in  the 
masculine  manners  and  deeds.  Now  we  say  to  you — tear 
from  your  planet's  history  every  page  that  chronicles  a  mortal's 
willful  murder.  Blot  out  the  record  of  every  bloody  carnival,, 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  67 

torture  and  execution  that  ever  disgraced  a  person,  commu- 
nity or  nation.  Tear  down  the  pictures  and  implements  that 
represent  murder.  Tear  from  your  so-called  men  of  rank 
their  gilded  decorations  and  honors  built  upon  human  misery. 
Destroy  every  record  of  ancient  and  modern  inhuman  deeds 
and  executions.  Seize  every  weapon  of  human  murder  to  be 
found  upon  this  planet,  and  concentrate  them  with  your  damn- 
ing relics  and  records  of  bloody  deeds,  in  one  body,  and  bury 
the  bloody  carcass  that  smells  to  heaven  forever  out  of  mortal 
sight.  Establish  restrictions  against  the  making  and  posses- 
sion of  any  instrument  or  compound,  that  can  by  any  means 
be  used  to  destroy  the  life  of  a  human  form.  Let  the  stamp 
of  infamy  rest  upon  him  who  dares  to  think  of  murder,  with 
such  force  that  he  will  shrink  before  you  as  darkness  before 
light,  and  hush!  hush!  in  the  deepest  silence  the  truth  that 
ever  woman's  blood  was  shed  at  the  hands  of  man.  Then  let 
the  new  born  child's  ears  be  closed  against  the  truth,  that  hu- 
man murder  was  or  is  a  possibility  in  the  life  it  is  living, 

We  would  that  you  imitate  the  heavens  by  that  sympathy 
for  every  human  form  that  could  not  suffer  a  liability,  by 
which  there  might  result  an  accident,  which  would  result  in 
its  injury. 

You  should  go  slow  and  careful  at  every  turn  and  transac- 
action  in  life,  avoiding  accident  which  might  result  in  death  to 
the  form,  which  needs  all  of  its  mortal  life  wherein  to  grow, 
that  nature  may  gather  the  spirit  gently  home,  with  no  shock 
to  retain  upon  the  nervous  system. 

Consider  your  mortal  life  of  priceless  value,  inasmuch  as 
it  is  your  preparatory  school  of  discipline  and  growth;  for 
when  you  come  to  your  heaven,  you  need  to  realize  that  your 
mortal  life  has  served  its  purpose  as  far  as  possible  through 
circumstances  of  birth  and  opportunities;  for  where  there  is 
deprivation  there  is  always  regret. 


68  A    VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

If  you  are  low  by  birth,  those  are  circumstances  which  you 
cannot  overcome,  but  you  may  improve  such  circumstances  by 
thought  culture;  for  thought  is  the  germinal  element  of  spirit- 
growth,  and  by  improved  mental  element  you  will  improve 
your  individual  condition,  and  reflect  even  better  mortal,  as 
well  as  spirit  type,  in  your  offspring. 

Bear  in  mind  that  there  is  nothing  in  mortal  life  that  is  a 
success  to  you,  only  as  you  make  it  a  means  of  development 
for  the  life  in  spirit,  where  you  are  soon  to  stand  out  in  the 
heavenly  humanity  as  a  success  or  a  failure;  with  your  natural 
personal  pride  of  type  and  powers,  gratified  or  dissatisfied.  In 
short  you  must  be  lovable  if  you  would  be  loved  by  the  female 
sex,  and  the  society  in  which  you  are  grouped. 

You  need  to  be  perfect,  vital,  animated  and  interesting. 
Your  spirit  dual  stands  by  your  side.  It  is  growing  in  spirit- 
ual vitality,  which  fits  it  for  the  heavens,  just  as  you  live  in 
heaven,  in  thoughts  and  actions. 

You  must  consider  that  your  spirit  form  in  its  conformity  to 
the  mortal  in  function,  is  subject  to  causes  in  mortal  birth  and 
life,  which  render  such  functions  perfect  and  vital  in  spirit,  or 
imperfect  and  non-vital. 

You  want  strong  and  perfect  lungs,  for  upon  that  function 
you  will  much  depend  in  overcoming  elements  and  spaces,  and 
all  your  functions  need  to  be  perfect,  in  order  that  you  may 
enjoy  all  that  nature  fits  you  for  in  your  perfected  life. 

Your  nervous  system  needs  to  be  strong,  for  with  imperfect 
nerves,  your  po-ver  over  the  magnetic  element  is  lost. 

You  need  perfect  brain,  that  you  may  be  active  in  your  in- 
tellectual pursuits,  and  brilliant  in  your  social  life;  for,  mark — 
you  may  have  strong  brain  in  your  mortal  life,  but  that  is  no 
guarantee  that  you  will  have  the  same  in  spirit;  as  there  is  a 
certain  spiritual  refinement  which  makes  strong  spirit  brain, 
and  illuminated  mentality,  and  the  tendencies  which  affect  one 
function  affect  all  alike. 


OR   STELLAR   AMD   CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  69 

It  is  true,  that  many  years  of  spirit  life,  will  result  in 
strengthening  the  brain  to  ^some  extent,  as  well  as  other  weak 
functions;  but  the  process  is  very  slow,  and  you  want  perfec- 
tion to  begin  with. 

You  must  consider  these  causes  and  effects,  in  your  desire 
for  remedies,  and  decide  for  a  preparation  for  your  spiritual 
life,  by  conformity  to  causes  which  will  produce  effects  most 
desirable  through  your  coming  transition,  which  you  expect, 
and  must  regard,  as  the  great  event  of  your  life. 

We  wish  to  elevate  you  to  your  natural  manhood — to  a 
perfect  equality  with  the  female  sex,  in  all  that  she  is  refined,, 
pure,  modest  and  innocent  in  spiritual  qualities;  for  your 
strong  male  characteristics  combined  with  such  virtues,  will 
make  you  her  equal  in  spirit,  to  approach  her  in  the  full  en- 
joyment of  happiness  which  is  your  chief  aim  and  desire  in 
life. 

The  inferior  plane  upon  which  you  have  asserted  yourselves 
as  a  sex,  in  direct  opposition  to  the  female,  in  thousands  of 
vitiating  habits,  thoughts  and  practices,  constitutes  a  disease 
which  has  devitalized  vast  numbers  of  male  spiritual  beings, 
and  rendered  your  sex  with  but  few  exceptions,  in  spirit  a 
comparative  failure. 

There  are  many  remedies  for  this  state  of  decline  if  you 
would  seek  them;  for  as  you  are  stronger  in  form  and  mental 
endurance,  be  you  also  strong  in  refinement,  and  white  in 
thoughts  and  actions,  then  you  will  reach  the  female,  and 
place  yourself  in  spiritual  society  where  she  needs  you. 

You  can  remedy  the  evil  effects  of  money  by  refusing  to 
recognize  it  as  a  standard  of  respectability  or  honor. 

You  can  imitate  the  heavens  inasmuch  as  you  possess  talents 
and  superior  power,  that  such  attributes  are  in  your  personal 
life  and  usefulness  the  public  property  of  the  humanity  in 
which  you  abide,  and  that  the  humanity  in  which  you  move, 


70  A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

have  a  claim  on  you  for  aJ  that  you   possess,  as  their  personal 
right. 

Imitate  the  heavens,  that  respects  wealth  in  personal  attri- 
butes, and  will  give  all  its  palaces  and  beauty  and  art,  with  the 
freedom  of  the  universe  for  one  excellent  spirit  type. 

In  your  past  life,  as  a  sex,  you  have  disregarded  the  divine 
law  that  gives  you  being,  and  held  vitiating  and  degrading 
conditions  as  virtues,  and  regarded  your  spirit  life  with  indif- 
ference and  ridicule,  because  you  have  presumed  to  believe 
there  was  no  future  state,  while  you  couid  not  dare  to  deny  it 
in  the  face  'of  the  evidence  that  has  come  to  you  throughout 
all  time. 

Your  spirit-life  is  inevitable,  for  nature  has  set  her  sen- 
tence upon  you,  and  doomed  you  to  eternal  life,  deny  or  defy 
it  as  you  may. 

You  cannot  afford  to  disregard  this  triiih — that  your  spirit 
type  must  be  built  up  by  your  specific  compound  as  a  man, 
and  the  ingredients  in  the  prescription  which  I  have  g.ven  you, 
will  constitute  that  compound  and  magnet,  which  will  attract 
the  divine  germ  of  growth  which  makes  you  beautiful  and 
powerful  in  spirit. 

We  cannot  tell  you  why  nature  is  thus  arbitrary.  We  can 
only  give  you  results,  and  what  constitutes  the  compound  in  a 
man  which  is  necessary  to  build  up  spirit  type. 

Avoid  false  education  concerning  your  spiritual  life,  for 
false  teaching  and  learning  are  wasted  mental  energies  and 
time  in  the  opportunity  of  your  mortal  life,  which  needs  true 
and  fertilizing  thought. 

In  all  things  be  true  to  nature,  am1  nature  will  be  true  to 
you. 

Make  good  the  opportunity  of  the  mortal  life,  as  a  school  of 
preparation,  that  you  may  graduate  with  high  honors  in  spirit; 
for  your  mortal  life  is  for  you  but  once,  in  all  your  eternal 


OR  STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  71 

lifetime;  for  nature  does  not  build  downwards,  from  growth 
and  development  to  germ,  but  upwards  from  germ  to  perfec- 
tion in  spirit. 

Avoid  all  hideous  objects,  pictures,  and  actions;  for  hideous 
sights  make  hideous  thoughts,  and  thought  reflects  its  ima- 
gery. 

You  parade  hideous  pictures  and  monstrosities  before  the 
public  gaze  of  women,  and  exhibit  such  without  regard  to  the 
fact,  that  such  thought-imagery  leaves  its  lasting  impress  upon 
the  mother  and  child,  and  that  hideous  pictures  make  living 
impressions. 

You  should  refuse  to  allow  hideous  pictures  of  any  kind  to 
be  exposed  before  human  eyes.  Bear  in  mind  that  deformities 
of  mortal  birth  cannot  entirely  be  remedied  in  spirit.  It  does 
its  best,  but  it  will  not  give  a  perfect  dual  in  a  false  original. 

Surround  your  life  entirely  with  beautiful  pictures  and  adorn- 
ments, for  beautiful  sights  make  beautiful  thoughts,  for  thought 
reflects  its  imagery. 

Make  unpopular  all  public  exhibitions  which  display  historic 
or  imaginary  scenes  of  tragedy;  for  you  parade  the  same  before 
the  public  as  if  it  were  an  exalted  attribute  in  human  nature, 
and  give  its  actors  honor  in  the  name  of  art.  In  this  respect 
again  your  taste  is  false,  as  sooner  or  later  you  will  need  to  see. 
Avoid  all  such  exhibitions,  for  they  not  only  lend  popularity 
to  history  that  should  be  forgotten,  but  inspire  men  to  con- 
sider tragedy  as  a  human  accomplishment,  and  the  real  act  of 
murder  as  an  exhibition  of  true  manliness. 

Avoid  all  violent  exciterrent,  for  your  love  of  exitement, 
like  your  habit  of  noise,  is  another  ingredient  in  the  devital- 
izing compound,  for  all  low  excitements  produce  exciting 
thoughts,  and  thought  reflects  its  own  imagery. 

Avoid  violent  anger,  for  it  produces  black  thought  which  re- 
flects its  imagery  in  features,  and  deeds. 


72  A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

You  may  remedy  the  existing  wrong  of  suicide  by  teaching 
that  such  voluntary  transitions  as  violations  of  law,  result  in 
spiritual,  mental  weakness,  and  regrets,  and  constitutional  de- 
bility, and  in  many  cases  a  temporary  retention  upon  the  mind 
of  the  insane  and  desperate  impulses.  Be  mindful  of  the  truth, 
that  nature  is  reactory  when  her  laws  are  violated,  and  in  such 
cases  the  reaction  is  upon  the  mind,  which  effects  temporary 
and  sometimes  permanent,  low,  spiritual  vitality. 

Do  not  deny  your  spirit  life,  for  as  you  deny  it  so  will  it 
deny  you  in  unfoldment  of  powers. 

Take  one  step  forward  through  the  remedies  we  have  sug- 
gested, and  the  sun  will  illumine  your  mortal  pathway  with  softer 
light,  and  divine  nature  will  charm  and  thrill  your  being  with 
purer  growth,  which  will  take  you  to  highest  conditions  in 
celestial  worlds. 

To  woman,  in  her  true  position  in  life,  we  have  nothing  to 
say;  for  unconscious  to  herself  nature  is  lavishing  its  wealth  of 
adornment  in  perfect  type  and  illuminated  mentality  which  will 
be  to  her  a  surprise  and  delight;  but  in  all  this  there  are  alti- 
tudes in  personal  type,  and  spheres  of  usefulness  among  the 
star  powers  in  the  ascending  scale  above  to  which  you  may  as- 
pire. You  may  be  ambitious  to  reach  the  queens  of  the  cres- 
cent star,  and  possibly  have  your  ambition  gratified  by  nature, 
which  displays  its  fancywork  of  female  adornment  and  special 
attributes  whenever  it  has  a  mortal  opportunity;  but  all  things 
must  be  equal  in  the  nature  of  superior  mortal  type,  through 
circumstances  of  superior  birth  and  natural  refinement  to  insure 
your  attaining  to  the  exalted  rank. 

To  our  weak  sister  we  will  say:  If  you  will' keep  down,  in  a 
low  thought  element  and  in  damaging  contact  with  vicious 
men,  in  vicious  practices,  such  condition  will  stagnate  your 
growth  and  your  dark  thought  will  reflect  its  imagery  on  your 
dual,  and  cause  weak  sphere  power,  and  small,  dim  star,  and 
general  poor  type. 


OR    STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  73 

Your  pride  of  personal  type  and  powers  in  spirit  is  intensi- 
fied. You  wish  to  be  satisfied  that  the  developing  season  of 
the  mortal  life  has  done  its  best  for  you  under  circumstances 
of  birth,  for  mortality  is  the  tree  of  life,  and  spirit  the  fruit 
thereof. 

Give  nature  an  opportunity  and  let  it  have  its  own  way  with 
you,  and  assert  yourself  on  your  true  plane  and  it  will  bring  you 
to  the  heavens  in  your  natural  perfection  and  personal  satis- 
faction. 

Now  you  must  ask  the  question:  What  constitutes  high 
spirit  type?  You  will  answer:  high  type  consists  of  beauty 
and  perfection  of  form,  imdependent  vital  sphere,  strong  brain 
power  and  illuminated  mentality,  superior  perfection  and  power 
of  vision,  special  superior  quality  of  voice,  in  vocal  utterance 
and  music,  excellence  in  art,  great  power  in  love  and  unlimited 
condition. 

What  constitutes  low  type?  You  will  answer;  low  type  con- 
sists of  comparative  imperfection  of  form  and  function.  Weak 
sphere-power,  and  brain-power,  with  comparative  inactive 
mentality,  impure  quality  of  voice,  and  weak  power  in  music 
and  love,  imperfected  vision,  and  limited  condition 

I  now  plead  before  you  and  your  male  sex  to  whom  I  im- 
plore in  the  sincerity  of  a  sorrowing  heart  and  through  tears  of 
millions  in  spirit  who  are  the  effects  of  a  blighted  mortal  life, 
that  this  voice  from  the  heavens  may  penetrate  your  souls,  and 
thrill  you  with  the  importance  of  your  mortal  life  in  the  rela- 
tions which  it  sustains  to  immortality.  That,  while  the  heav- 
enly life  is  for  all,  there  are  celestial  scenes  of  beauty  which 
you  desire,  and  which  may  be  forever  hidden  from  your  view 
unless  you  strive  to  attain  them.  I  pray  you  do  not  delay,  for 
the  harvester  is  ever  in  your  midst,  who  would  reap  only  gems 
to  deck  the  crown  of  heaven.  Let  your  poor  misguided  sex 
kneel  with  me,  as  I  implore  you  to  heed  the  voice  of  her,  who, 


74  A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

while  on  bended  knees  and  in  supplication,  the  millions  of  the 
poor  in  spirit — the  millions  of  the  exalted — the  universe  of 
risen  humanity,  prostrate  themselves  in  tearful  prayer,  that 
you  may  recover  from  the  spiritual  degeneracy  of  the  present 
time.  We  beseech  you  do  not  pray  to  heaven,  for  an  impene- 
trable shadow  lies  between;  for  what  is  tangible  to  you  is  in- 
tangible to  the  immortal  spirit  and  the  highest  personage  in 
the  heavens  hears  you  not  only  as  she  may  stand  in  your  im- 
mediate presence,  but  it  is  heaven  that  ever  prays  to  you 
through  every  possible  opportunity  where  its  voice  may  be 
heard.  Rather,  you  should  pray  to  that  omnipresent  divinity 
which  is  with  you,  and  around  you  in  nature  that  works  such 
spiritual  imagery  in  the  unfoldment  of  the  human  form.  Let 
your  prayers  accompany  me  with  the  spirit  humanity  gone  befv re 
you,  that  divine  nature  \vh;.ch  holds  as  its  own  the  creative  laws 
and  forces,  will  generate  within  you  anew  mortal  life  with  bright 
prospects  for  your  home  immortal.  We  would  that  you  might 
liken  your  mortal  life  to  a  great  mountain,  at  the  summit  of 
which  you  might  see  the  radiance  of  heaven  lighting  the  way 
and  cheering  your  upward  struggling  footsteps,  and  that  up 
this  mountain  you  might  come  hand  in  hand,  heart  in  heart, 
every  one  to  do  his  part  in  the  joyful  ascent.  Full  of  mirth 
and  music,  and  pure  companionship,  and  casting  your  eyes 
towards  the  radiant  summit  that  you  soon  must  reach,  which 
you  may  almost  see,  while  your  ears  may  catch  those  sweet 
sounds  of  joy  in  the  musical  cadences  that  vibrate  down  your 
heavenward  way. 


III, 


LESSON  I. 


Q. — What  is  the  relation  of  planets  to  the  sun  and  to  each 
other. 

A. — The  planetary  outline  of  the  heavens  is  to  the  spirit 
person  a  reality,  only  as  he  may  retain  it  in  the  memory  of  his 
mortal  state  of  being;  for  the  spiritual  heavens  of  surpassing 
grandeur,  and  interest,  greets  his  immortal  vision.  He  soon 
observes  in  his  study  of  the  new  heavens  that  all  stellar  and 
celestial  zones  and  spiral  veins  in  the  spirit  outline  are  situated 
in  fixed  and  unchangeable  relations  to  each  other  in  groups  or 
constellations  which  move  as  groups  in  permanent  relations  to 
each  other  around  the  sun. 

From  this  truth  it  is  evident  to  you  that  if  your  stellar  zones 
are  in  fixed  relations  to  the  same  of  other  planets,  that  your 
own  planet,  as  a  member  of  a  certain  group,  must  ever  retain 
its  fixed  position  and  distance  in  relation  to  other  members  of 
the  same  constellation  or  group,  and  that  whatever  group  your 
planet  is  a  member  of,  such  group  or  constellation  will  revolve 
around  the  sun — in  fixed  relations — as  a  body;  but  during  that 
revolution  their  positions  will  appear  to  you  changed  in  their 
relation  to  you,  and  the  sun,  in  their  rising  and  setting;  on  the 
same  principle  that  your  planet  will  by  its  inclination  change 
poles  to  the  sun  during  one  entire  revolution.  In  other  words, 
the  group  will  not  on  its  plane,  present  the  same  front  towards 
the  sun  during  a  revolution  around  the  same,  and  what  is  the 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


Kig.   4. 

inner  planet  in  west  relation  to  the  sun, will  be  the  outer  planet 
when  the  group  is  in  east  relation  (see  fig.  4)  and  as  the  different 
members  of  the  group  change  in  rising  and  setting,  they  are 
also  liable  to  show  changing  phases,  and  possioly  eclipses  and 
variations;  but  there  is  regularity  in  variations,  as  there  is  reg- 
ularity in  the  motion  and  distances  of  bodies  in  a  group. 
Q. — We  are  taught  by  our  astronomers  that  we  are  a  mem- 


OR    STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  77 

her  of  a  system  of  planets  which  revolve  around  the  sun  at 
different  periods.  Is  such  the  truth  ? 

A. — Our  knowledge  of  the  spirit  outline  of  heavenly  bodies 
all  situated  and  moving  in  fixed  relations  and  connections, 
makes  it  impossible  for  us  to  accept  your  theory  of  single 
planets  moving  around  the  sun  in  unequal  periods. 

When  you  behold,  from  your  standpoint  of  life,  the  plan- 
etary outline,  and  observe  the  distant  groups  in  unchangeable 
relations  to  each  other,  it  should  become  evident  to  you  that 
your  own  group  or  constellation  cannot  be  a  singular  excep- 
tion  to  the  general  rule  or  law,  and  that  it  must  appear  to  the 
observers  on  the  distant  groups  the  same  as  such  groups  appear 
to  you,  each  star  iri  its  fixed  and  unchangeable  position. 

You  cannot  take  that  liberty  to  make  yourself  out  as  a 
special  plan  in  direct  opposition  to  the  universe,  when  you 
can  read  the  plain  lesson  in  the  stars  above  you. 

Q. — Our  astronomers  claim  that  the  distant  bodies  are  re- 
lated to  other  suns  by  which  they  have  light  and  motion.  Is 
such  the  truth  ? 

A. — There  is  only  the  one  sun  as  known  .to  the  spiritual 
heavens,  upon  which  the  universe  of  planetary  and  spirit  out- 
line is  dependent  for  light  and  life. 

Q. — (By  the  spirit.)  What  is  the  distance  that  your  astron- 
omers have  placed  the  sun  from  the  planet  ? 

A. — (By  the  writer)  About  95,000,000  miles. 

A. — (By  the  spirit.)  Should  you  approach  the  sun  at  only 
that  distance  there  would  be  but  little  apparent  change  in  its 
facial  appearance  or  increase  in  size,  as  you  would  view  it  with 
naked  vision,  and  another  sun  of  the  same  diameter  and  power 
situated  exterior  to  the  outmost  visible  star  on  the  plane  of 
of  planets,  would  appear  equally  as  large,  and  strong  in  light. 
The  great  sun  is  in  diameter  beyond  any  human  means  of  cal- 
culation, and  occupies  a  vast  extent  of  space,  and  its  great  dis- 


78  A   VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 

tance  from  the  inner  margin  of  the  grand  plane  cannot  be 
estimated. 

There  was  a  theory  that  our  sun  is  one  of  five,  situated 
equi-distant  in  a  circle,  and  this  circle  of  suns  each  with  its 
grand  plane  of  worlds  undergoing  a  west  to  east  motion;  but 
this  imaginary  "sun-circle"  has  never  been  proven,  nor  has  the 
nearest  imaginary  sun  in  either  direction  ever  been  seen. 

Q. — (By  the  spirit)  Upon  what  do  your  astronomers  base 
their  calculations  ? 

A. — (By  writer.)  Upon  what  they  term  the  "Celestial 
Sphere,"  in  the  centre  of  which  they  place  our  planet,  from 
which  they  base  their  calculations  by  the  "celestial  sphere" 
divided  into  degrees. 

A. — Then  their  calculations  are  wrong,  if  we  are  right  in  our 
knowledge,  that  the  universe  of  the  spirit  and  planetary  out- 
line comprises  a  grand  plane ,  of  which  the  sun  is  the  centre, 
and  this  plane  may  be  considered  as  a  great  belt  comprising 
groups  of  bodies  moving  around  the  sun  from  west  to  east. 
[See  Fig.  5.]  As  you  stand  upon  the  earth  with  your  face  to 
the  north  and  your  arms  extended  east  and  west,  your  head  or 
body  will  indicate  zenith,  or  the  horizontal  plane  in  which  you 
are  situated;  and  your  back  will  indicate  the  southern  void  or 
down,  and  your  face  the  northern  void,  or  up.  Your  right  arm 
will  point  to  the  void  between  the  inner  margin  of  the  grand- 
plane  and  the  sun,  and  your  left  arm  to  the  exterior  void. 

Q. — What  is  the  relation  of  planets  to  the  sun,  and  how  are 
their  distances  governed? 

A. — In  a  lesson  on  the  spirit  sphere,  you  have  learned  the 
cause  of  rotary  and  orbital  motion  of  planets — as  understood 
by  us — to  be  the  magnetic  element  in  which  they  are  situated; 
while  the  sun  itself  is  the  monster  magnet— the  central  con- 
ductor, receiver  and  dispenser  of  magnetic  power,  which  is 
exerted  horizontally,  on  a  plane  of  sun  and  planets. 


OR  STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


Rig.   5. 

In  regard  to  motion  of  heavenly  bodies  you  must  accept  this 
rule:  that  there,  must  be  eternal  force  where  there  is  eternal  mo- 
tion, and  when  the  force  is  lost  the  motion  ceases. 

The  magnetic  element  partakes  of  a  dual  force ,  or  what  you 
term  the  positive  and  negative,  and  this  union  of  forces  in  the 
sun  constitutes  the  power  by  which  it  regulates  the  distances  of 
all  bodies  in  space,  according  to  the  special  magnetic  relations 
between  itself  and  such  bodies,  planets  or  groups.  To  the 


80  A   VOICE    FROM   THE    HEAVENS 

governing  magnetic  power  of  the  planet  we  will  give  the  name 
"polarity"  which  implies  its  southern  and  northern  polar  mag- 
netism. The  light  which  you  see  in  the  north  called  the 
"aurora  borealis"  is  the  radiation  of  the  earth's  great  magnetic 
battery,  or  as  we  say  the  governing  magnet,  and  understood  by 
you  as  the  "positive  pole"  which,  by  its  connection  with  the 
sun,  governs  the  planet's  position  in  space,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  regulates  its  rotary  motion.  Should  this  magnetic  bat- 
tery become  exhausted  the  sun  would  be  powerless  to  guide 
the  planet  in  its  orbit.  Its  regular  rotary  motion  would  cease, 
and  it  would  sink  away  from  the  group  of  which  it  is  a  mem- 
ber— a  wandering  lost  planet  in  the  abyss  of  space.  In  the 
planet's  magnet  rests  its  regular  rotary  and  orbital  motion  and 
position;  for  it  is  its  vital  organ,  or  function,  and  is  as  necessary 
for  the  planet's  existence  as  the  heart  of  the  human  form  is 
necessary  for  its  life  and  motion. 

As  all  vegetable  and  animal  forms  possess  their  ruling  function, 
so  does  a  planet  in  its  north  polar  magnetism  have  its  head,  or 
governing  power.  In  its  nether  pole  its  feet;  in  its  atmosphere 
its  arms  or  wings,  which  serve  as  its  sustaining  power,  and  in 
connection  with  the  magnetic  currents — its  propelling  power, 
and  in  union  with  the  sun's  radiations — its  generating  and 
organizing  power. 

You  will  understand  that  the  planet's  governing  relation  to 
the  sun  is  always  the  "positive  pole,"  which  repels  the  planet 
when  in  its  relation  to  the  positive  power  of  the  sun,  and  at- 
tracts it  towards  the  sun,  when  in  the  sun's  negative  power. 

Q. — What  is  the  direction  in  which  the  repelling  power  is 
exerted  ? 

A. — We  must  consider  direction  in  a  horizontal  and  not  in 
a  longitudinal  sense;  and  that  it  is  the  northwest,  west,  south- 
west  power  of  the  sun  which  is  its  negative  power,  or  the  rela- 
tion we  term  attraction,  which  is  greatest  in  its  west  and  south- 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


8l 


Rig.   6. 

The  dual  forces  of  the  sun.     Cause  of  inclination. 

west,  and  diminishes  south,  where  the  attracting  power  is 
lost  to  the  repeling  power  in  the  direction  of  southeast, 
and  east,  and  northeast,  or  positive  power  of  the  sun. 
[See  Fig.  6.]  The  power  of  the  sun  diminishes  from 
west  to  south,  where  its  magnetic  radiations  are  weaker 
and  having  less  friction  upon  the  atmosphere  the  same  be- 
comes colder,  hence  we  say,  Heat  increases  in  relation  of 


OF  THB 


82  A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

attraction  and  decreases  in  repulsion.  We  admit  that  inclina- 
tion is  the  partial  but  not  the  sole  cause  of  cold  atmosphere. 

Q. — How  is  a  group  governed  in  its  distance  from  the  sun, 
and  what  is  the  relation  of  the  satellite  to  the  planet  ? 

A. — We  believe  that  groups  and  single  planets  are  situated 
at  distances  from  the  sun  as  to  the  strength  of  their  magnetic 
poles  and  not  as  to  size  or  density,  i.  e.,  the  greater  the  distance 
of  a  planet  or  group  from  the  sun  the  greater  the  strength  of 
their  polar  magnets,  and  the  greatei  their  rotary  and  orbital 
motion. 

The  satellite  -  we  may  say — is  in  the  planet's  magnet,  or 
polarity,  and  is  repelled  and  attracted  by  the  dual  force  in  the 
planet's  magnet,  in  connection  with  the  same  force  in  the  mag- 
net of  the  satellite  which  will  have  its  position  distant  from  the 
primary  according  to  its  magnetic  strength. 

Q.     What  is  the  cause  of  inclination  ? 

A.  In  the  west  to  east  motion  around  the  sun,  while  in  re- 
lation of  attraction,  the  north  pole  of  the  planet  or  comet  is 
drawn  toward  the  sun  and  while  in  the  positive  relation  of 
repulsion,  it  is  repelled  from  the  sun.  [See  Fig.  6.] 


LESSON    II. 


THE   GREAT   SUN.      SPIRIT   SUNS.      LIGHT  AND 
HEAT. 


Q.     What  is  light  and  heat  ? 

A.  We  have  already  indicated,  that  the  sun  in  its  light  and 
properties  is  dual  as  pertaining  to  spirit  and  planetary  out'ines, 
as  well  as  dual  in  its  active  energies.  As  you  behold  the  sun, 
you  must  consider  that  ihe  same  luminary '  gives  light  and  life 
to  the  spiritual  heavens,  as  well  as  to  the  planetary,  and  that 
you  are  living  in  the  sight  of  just  so  much  of  the  spiritual 


OR     STELLAR    A^D    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  83 

heavens;  for  the  same  ray  of  light  that  comes  to  you,  pene- 
trates the  tinted  ethers  of  celestial  and  stellar  zones.  You  will 
never  get  away  from  the  sight  and  presence  of  this  great  mag- 
net upon  which  all  mortal  and  immortal  life  depends. 

As  it  is  the  mind  or  spirit,  that  sees,  so  it  is  that  the  spirit 
principle  in  the  light  of  the  sun,  will  in  your  mortality,  charge 
the  mind  but  to  a  limited  degree  with  the  effect  of  its  natural 
power,  while  in  spirit,  the  mind  is  charged  with  a  perfection  in 
effects  of  softness  of  light  quite  in  contrast  with  corresponding 
effects  on  the  mortal  mind. 

Our  belief  is  that  the  sun  does  not  possess  heat  or  liquid; 
but  properties  of  matter,  the  compound  of  which  is  fully  charged 
with  the  magnetic  element  to  such  a  perfect  degree,  that  its  en- 
tire body  becomes  luminous  and  vital;  neither  does  the  sun 
radiate  heat,  which  is  the  effect  of  the  union  ot  the  two  ele- 
ments— the  magnetic  radiations  of  the  sun  and  the  atmosphere. 
The  chemical  result  of  this  union  simply  produces  combustion, 
just  to  the  degree  that  it  produces  heat,  and  the  different  de- 
grees of  temperature  vary  in  proportion  to  the  different  condit- 
ions and  depths  of  atmosphere.  The  thin  strata  of  atmos- 
phere up  or  down  towards  the  poles,  affords  the  sun  but 
little  power  to  produce  the  necessary  friction  which  produces 
heat.  It  necessarily  follows  then,  that  as  a  planet,  when  you 
are  in  the  suns  dividing  line  of  negative  and  positive  relation, 
when  its  radiations  are  the  weakest,  you  will  have  cold  atmos- 
phere from  north  to  south,  and  vice  versa,  just  in  proportion 
to  its  depth — allowing  at  all  times  direct  angle  to  produce 
increase  in  heat. 

As  heat  is  the  chemical  effect  of  the  union  of  two  elements, 
which  produce  a  third;  so  also  is  the  varying  color  and  intensity 
of  light  due  to  varying  conditions  of  atmospheres.  Could  you 
rise  out  of  your  atmosphere,  you  would  behold  the  sun  as  a 
white  sphere — throwing  out  its  radiations  in  great  white  streams 
through  the  spaces,  resembling  an  immense  fan;  the  radiations 


A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 


K  *•  3&  \  ^w  ' 

wm 


Fig.   7. 

The  sun  as  it  appears  when  viewed  from  the  blank  ether  spaces.  As  a  sun 
would  appear  to  us  if  seen  at  night  among  the  distant  stars.  When  viewed 
through  the  medium  of  atmosphere  or  spirit  ethers  the  sun  appears  only  as  a 
bright  sphere 

becoming  weaker  and  having  diminished  length  in  ics  southern 
limb.  [See  Fig.  7.]  Hence  the  bright  dazzling  effect  of  the 
sun  is  much  due  to  the  medium  through  which  you  observe 
it. 

We  believe  that  the  organic  properties  and  radiations  of  the 
sun,  and  self  luminous  bodies  known  as  comets  and  the  mag- 


OR    STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  85 

netic  battery  of  the  planet  are  identical,  and  differ  only  in  inten- 
sity, and  that  if  a  small  body  enveloped  with  atmosphere,  could 
be  placed  in  the  radiations  known  as  the  "Aurora  Borealis," 
that  the  chemical  result  would  be  instanteous  combustion,  and 
a  bright  yellow  light,  much  brighter  than  the  "Aurora"  itself. 
Hence  it  is  plain  to  you  that  all  stars  which  show  their  bright 
light,  are  enveloped  with  atmosphere  like  your  own  planet,  and 
that  such  bright  light  is  only  possible  where  there  is  at- 
mosphere, and  that  every  planet  must  shine  by  its  own  light, 
which  in  intensity  and  color  pertains  to  itself,  and  has  its  ori- 
gin in  the  sun  only  as  a  source  and  single  element. 

Self  luminous  bodies  are  non  supportive  of  organic  life  as  the 
nature  of  their  element  is  cold  or  opposite  to  heat;  hence  the  sun 
connot  contain  any  form  of  life  that  exists  in  atmosphere,  and 
is  the  organizer  of  life  only  as  it  unites  with  other  elements,  or 
with  atmosphere. 

Q.     What  is  the  form  of  the  atmosphere  ? 

A.  It  is  understood  to  be  oval,  or  in  the  form  of  an  elipse, 
extending  east  and  west,  slightly  touching  the  extreme  poles. 
[See  Fig.  8.]  This  is  also  true  of  the  magnetic  sphere  of  the 
spirit  person  which  as  seen  luminous  in  the  shadow  appears  a 
perfect  elipse  extending  right  and  left,  the  average  sphere  of  the 
third  grand  division  showing  the  upper  and  lower  out-line  of 
elipse  passing  near  the  head  and  feet.  [See  Fig.  2  Part  ist.] 

Q.      \Vhat  is  your  theory  of  sun  spots  ? 

A.  We  believe  that  they  are  the  temporarily  or  permantly 
uncharged,  and  hence  unluminous  portions  of  its  surface;  or 
non  conducting  surfaces.  As  we  understand  the  law,  that  the 
polar  magnet  of  a  body  will  conduct  the  magnetic  currents 
around  the  same,  with  a  rotary  force  and  motion  proportionate 
to  its  strength,  then  it  is  apparent  that  the  sun  might  revolve 
with  great  rapidity  and  in  revolution  would  show  different 
spots  at  different,  times. 


86 


A    VOICK    FKOM.    THE    HEAVENS 


Rig.  8. 

The  form  of  the  atmosphere.     PhiloFo;  hy  of  atmospheric  light  i  nd  direction 
of  polar  radiations. 

Q.  What  is  the  effect  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  atmospheres 
of  the  distant  planets  ? 

A.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  while  the  polar  mag- 
nets of  distant  planets  are  of  greater  strength,  that  the  effect  of 
the  sun's  rays  upon  their  atmospheres  would  be  comparatively 
less;  which  would  result  in  the  equatorial  surfaces  being  better 
adapted  to  the  best  types  of  humanity,  ard  that  there  would  be 
greater  cold  on  surfaces  corresponding  to  ycur  temperate  lati- 


OR    STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  87 

tudes;  also,  it  would  follow  that  the  action  of  sun  and  atmos- 
phere would  be  less  violent  than  on  planets  nearer  the  sun; 
which  would  cause  a  softer  effect  in  light,  and  less  excess  in  heat. 
By  this  we  see,  that  divine  nature  suffers  no  lost  energies,  but 
balances  all  planets  equally  in  their  relations  to  eaeh  other  and 
their  adaptation  to  humanity.  In  the  sun  then,  we  behold 
the  central  vortex  of  magnetic  power,  around  which,  the  grand 
plane  of  spirit  and  planetary  outline  of  worlds  has  its  circuit, 
and  through  its  impregnating  principles — in  union  with  atmos- 
phere—we discover  the  causes  which  through  various  elements 
produce  various  effects  in  color  and  form,  and  beyond  the  sun — 
in  his  search  for  first  causes  of  organic  life — the  restless  stud- 
ent of  nature  may  never  enter. 

Q.  Is  it  possible  for  any  spirit  being  to  travel  towards  the 
sun  ? 

A.  Beyond  a  certain  boundary,  no  planet  or  human  being 
can  enter,  as  the  magnetic  currents  repel  with  terrific  force, 
and  the  vast  space  of  unmeasured  millions  of  miles  towards 
the  sun  becomes  an  ocean  of  magnetic  forces  in  violent 
motion. 

Q.  Is  there  no  other  source  of  light,  or  other  self-lumin- 
ous bodies  in  the  spirit  heavens? 

A.  There  are  the  spirit  suns,  which  next  to  the  spiral  veins 
are  the  largest  bodies  in  diameter  in  the  grand  plane,  and  have 
their  revolution — in  their  fixed  position  on  the  plane — around 
the  great  sun.  They  are  sometimes  called  the  double  suns,  but 
more  properly  "duplex  suns"  from  the  fact  that  they  reflect  or 
cast  their  apparent  duplicate  at  a  fixed  distant  point  in  space, 
on  a  horizontal  plane  and  in  their  full  size  and  strength  of  light. 
There  are  only  three  of  these  suns  known  in  the  spirit  heavens. 
They  do  not  effect  by  their  light  only  the  region  of  the 
heavens  in  which  they  are  situated.  They  are  seen  from  many 
celestial  zones,  but  from  your  stellar  zones  are  visible  only  as 


A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 


stars,  and   are  to  be  considered  among  the  superior  beauties 
and  advantages  of  the  celestial  regions. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  great  sun  as  a  single  element,  which 
is  seen  from  the  blank  ether  spaces  as  a  white  light  which  does 
not  illuminate  the  spaces  only  as  it  combines  with  atmosphere. 
[See  Fig.  8.]  But  as  a  single  magnetic  element,  we  may  admit 
that  is  a  compound,  partaking  of  many  vital  properties,  the 
nature  of  which  we  are  entirely  ignorant.  Atmosphere  is  also 
considered  a  singie  element,  but  consisting  of  a  compound  of 
different  properties,  the  nature  of  which  we  are  to  some  extent 
acquainted. 

The  sun  we  term  the  primal  element,  ar.d  atmosphere  the 
basic  element^  from  its"really  being  the  basis — through  its  un- 
ion with  the  primal — of  the  two  new  elements,  light  and  heat, 
and  of  all  organic  life. 

Q.  You  state  that  the  sun  does  not  illuminate  the  blank 
ether  spaces,  how  do  such  spaces  appear  to  spirit  vision  ? 

A.  As  the  spirit  person  reaches  the  blank  spaces,  he  finds 
himself  in  comparative  darkness,  the  distant  spaces  appearing 
very  dirk,  while  in  his  immediate  presence  the  air  appears 
somber,  but  active,  in  atoms  of  pale  light. 

You  may  consider,  that  if  the  sun  radiated  the  same  quality, 
color  and  intensity  of  light  natural  to  the  luminous  atmosphere 
of  your  planet  and^others,  with  power  proportionate  to  its  great 
size,  there  could  be  no  dark  spaces,  and  the  distant  stellar 
worlds  would  be  lost  to  view  in  the  illuminated  sheen  in 
which  the  dome  of  the  heavens  would  appear;  while  in  the 
rotary  motion  of  your  planet,  you  would  have  sunset  and 
shadow,  but  not  darkness. 


OR   STELLAR   AMD   CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  89 


LESSON  IV. 


,    XIETTKORS,  TIDRS. 


Q.  What  are  comets  and  where  in  space  do  they  have  their 
orbits. 

A.  We  believe  that  they  are  partially  self  luminous  bodies 
of  great  size,  having  a  heavily  charged  envelope  and  strong 
magnetic  pole  as  their  radiations  indicate;  and  as  their  radiations 
are  visible  to  the  spirit  person,  we  are  led  to  think  that  they 
partake  of  the  quality  which  is  natural  in  the  forces  and  light 
of  the  sun.  Having  very  strong  poles  they  necassarily  are  re- 
pelled exterior  to  all  other  bodies  in  the  grand  plane,  and  wre 
believe  that  they  are  an  exception  to  the  rule  of  regularity  in 
variations  and  that  when  they  appear  to  you  it  is  simply  a  case 
of  variations  which  may  never  occur  again.  These  variations 
by  which  they  become  visible  to  you,  are  effected  by  their  re- 
lation to  the  negative  power  of  the  sun  exerted  with  unusual 
force  by  which  they  simply  curve  in  towards  you5  and  then 
out,  when  they  resume  their  motion  silent,  invisible,  travelers 
in  the  great  depths — making  their  circuit  around  the  sun  ex- 
terior to  the  grand  plane  of  planets. 

Under  the  law  of  "positive"  and  "negative"  attraction,  it  is 
impossible  for  a  planet  in  space  to  change  its  relation  to  another, 
or  to  approach  another  only  so  far  as  it  be  magnetically  attracted 
and  if  a  comet  should  approach  near  a  planet  the  latter  would  be 
temporarily  repelled  out  of  position  by  the  comet's  stronger  mag- 
net which  is  as  positive  to  the  same  of  the  planet.  Hence,  there 
an  be  no  collisions,  or  calamities  in  the  stellar  or  celestial  heavens. 

The  comets— although  the  largest  stellar  bodies — can  be 
considered  as  diminutive  suns  subject  like  all  other  bodies  to 
the  control  of  the  great  sun,  and  can  always  be  regarded  with 


90  A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

pleasant  interest  and  not  alarm;  for  like  all  bodies  in  the  grand 
plane — their  approach  towards  the  sun — when  in  its  negative 
relation —  is  soon  overcome  by  its  positive  power,  when  they 
are  forced  to  resume  their  regular  circuit. 

Q.  In  what  direction  in  the  heavens  are  comets  likely  to  be 
seen? 

A.  Never  in  northern  horizon,  for  that  would  be  up,  never 
in  zenith  for  that  would  be  out  in  the  direction  of  the  center  of 
the  grand  plane  in  which  you  are  situated;  but  they  may  be 
seer,  approaching  southwest,  while  in  the  sun's  negative  and 
appearing  quite  plain  sometimes  in  south,  southeast,  where 
they  will  recede  from  view  in  the  sun's  positive;  but  in  the 
direction  of  their  rising  and  setting  they  must  appear  to  you 
different  at  different  times  according  to  your  planets  local  re- 
lation to  them.  If  you  should  see  one  appearing  quite  high 
or  in  toward  the  grand  plane  you  would  know  it  to  be  a  com- 
parative small  comet,  and  to  be  in  much  greater  variation 
than  the  large  ones  which  throw  out  their  sun-like  radiations. 

Q.     What  are  meteors. 

A.  In  your  atmosphere  you  see  an  illustration  of  natures 
chemistry  in  the  visible  effects  of  the  electricities  and  condensa 
tion.  It  is  an  apparent  truth  in  regard  to  meteors  that  they 
are  the  effects  of  condensation  of  certain  elemental  properties 
orignating  in  the  form  of  globules  which  do  not  affinitize  with 
atmosphere  where  they  have  their  origin,  and  being  of  mag- 
netic nature  are  attracted  by  the  magnetism  of  the  blank  ether 
air,  where  the  chemical  effect  is  to  produce  instantaneous  con- 
densation and  fusion,  when  the  condensed  matter  is  repelled 
back  through  the  atmosphere.  Globules  of  large  size  may  con- 
dense solid  matter,  rocks,  or  earth,  and  smaller  ones  only  fire- 
dust  which  is  disseminated  in  the  air.  A  great  number  of  such 
globules — being  of  magnetic  nature  attracted  together, 
rising  at  the  same  time,  would  produce  the  "  meteoric 


OR  STELLAR    AND    CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  9] 


shower,"  and  their  supposed  periods  are  simply  limited  to  the 
natural  chemical  operation  of  origin  in  atmosphere  to  conden- 
sation in  ether.  You  will  observe  this  rule: 

It  is  not  possible  for  a  body  however  small,  to  be  sustained,  or 
possess  regular  motion  in  the  ether  spaces  only  as  it  has  a 
charged  envelope — or  atmosphere — and  magnet,  and  once  pos- 
sessing such  governing  functions  with  relative  position  and  mo- 
tion, it  is  in  that  condition  unchangable  and  eternal. 

Q.  Can  you  explain  the  cause  of  our  moon's  show  axal 
motion  ? 

A.  As  we  have  already  indicated.  The  rotary  motion  of  a 
body  in  space  is  as  to  the  strength  of  the  polar  magnet.  That  your 
moon  has  a  comparatively  weak  magnet  is  evident  by 
by  its  approach  to  the  planet  which  exerts  a  weak  repelling 
power,  and  the  magnetic  currents  around  the  moon  being  con- 
ducted with  less  force  it  would  naturally  result  in  slower  axial 
motion. 

Q.  Can  you  explain  why  there  should  be  the  variation  in 
the  direction  of  the  magnetic  currents,  as  is  proved  by  our 
compass  ? 

A.  It  has  been  explained  that  the  polar  magnet  conducts 
the  currents  from  south  to  north  in  a  west  to  east  spiral,  and 
this  would  necessitate  a  variation  in  the  compass  at  different 
points  on  the  planet's  surface.  While  in  the  extreme  south  the 
compass  would  point  northwest — on  the  equator  it  might  indi- 
cate east  of  north,  and  again  in  north  latitude,  west  of  north 
and  again  in  extreme  north,  east  of  north.  (See  Fig.  8.) 

Q.  If  it  be  true  that  there  be  no  attraction  other  than  mag- 
netic attraction,  how  are  we  to  understand  the  cause  of  tides — 
which  has  been  assigned  to  the  moon's  attraction. 

A.  The  axial  motion  of  the  planet,  naturally  causes  the 
waters  to  swell  over  the  lands,  in  advance  of  the  solids — so  to 
speak — which  effects  a  reaction  of  the  waters — which  reaction 


9?  A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

causes  them  to  recede;  when  they  may  chance  to  meet  still  an- 
other forward  swell  which  would  cause  a  double  swell  or  tidal 
wave.  If  there  were  no  continents  there  would  be  a  regular 
forward  tendency — consequently  no  tides.  The  axial  motion 
causes  the  greatest  swell  of  waters  on  and  towards  the  equator 
— frcm  north  and  south — by  virtue  of  greater  outward  force, 
and  diminution  of  tides  towards  the  poles  corresponding  to 
diminished  "centrifugal"  force. 

Q.     (By  the  spirit.)     What  is  the  given  bulk  of  satellete? 

A.  (By  writer.)  About  one  fiftieth  of  the  earths  volume 
says  one  authority — one  eighteth — another. 

A.  (By  the  spirit.)  A  body  that  size  would  almost  float  in 
the  waters  it  is  supposed  to  attract — to  say  nothing  of  the  im- 
possibility of  its  attracting  the  waters  under  the  immense  atmos- 
pheric pressure  to  which  they  are  subjected.  Should  the  atmos- 
phere be  suddenly  removed,  the  planets  axial  motion  would 
cause  the  waters  to  fly  into  space,  as  well  as  all  loose  matter  on 
its  surface.  Hence  it  is  plain  that  it  is  the  atmosphere  that 
equalizes  and  holds  the  waters  down,  in  their  forward  and  out- 
ward tendancy  rather  than  that  any  large  body  in  space  attracts 
them  outward. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  attack  with  ridicule  your  philoso- 
phers' theories  and  calculations,  but  to  kindly  call  your  atten- 
tion to  inconsistencies  in  your  accepted  knowledge:  Neither 
do  we  claim  to  be  infallible  in  our  ability  to  arrive  at  absolute 
correct  conclusions  in  all  things,  but  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  spiritual  state,  afford  the  researcher  power  of  approxi- 
mation to  truth,  as  well  as  perception  of  the  same,  which  can- 
not be  attained  in  mortal  life. 

Your  philosophers  claimed  to  have  discovered  the  law  gov- 
erning the  motion  of  heavenly  bodies  and  to  this  law  they 
gave  the  name  of  "gravitation,"  which  was  suggested  by  an 
apple  falling  from  a  tree,  when  at  the  same  time  it  was  known 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  93 

that  if  the  atmospheric  pressure  had  been  removed  from  the 
apple  and  the  tree  which  bore  it,  that  both  would  have  been 
thrown  violently  outward  from  the  surface.  They  gave  the  or- 
ganic properties  of  the  sun  as  being  "liquid  fire"  and  "heated 
metallic  vapors,"  etc.,  and  appropriated  it  as  specially  belong- 
ing to  this  planet,  with  a  few  others  moving  around  it  in  un- 
equal periods.  They  had  however  discovered  the  truth  that 
the  planet  with  certain  others  were  situated  on  a  plane  with 
the  sun,  for  the  eclipses  had  proved  it;  but  when  they  decided 
to  have  plarets  moving  around  the  sun — some  in  less  time 
than  others — they  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  any  planet  moving 
nearer  and  around  the  sun,  in  less  time  than  the  earth — that 
at  times  it  would  almost  certain1}^  appear  to  pass  into — or  be 
eclipsed  by  the  sun  as  well  as  seen  to  pass  over  it.  This 
would  naturally  follow,  allowing  \hzplane  of  sun  and  planets 
which  they  correctly  understood  and  taught.  Notwithstanding 
the  known  truth  of  the  plane  of  sun  and  planets — they  made  a 
certain  planet  in  your  group  to  pass  around  the  sun — showing 
its  phases  and  made  it  show  its  full  phase,  in  what  they  termed 
the  "superior  conjunction,"  when  they  placed  the  great  sun 
directly  between  this  -'superior  conjunction"  and  your  earth — 
thus  placing  the  full-phased  planet  in  a  position  where  it  could 
not  possibly  be  visible  from  your  earth,  for  the  simple  reason 
— being  on  the  plane  with  earth  and  sun — which  it  is — it  would 
necessarily  be  in  a  state  of  total  eclipse,  which  is  true  of  the 
section  of  the  grand  plane  which  at  any  time  is  directly  oppo- 
site to  you  and  from  your  position  as  a  group  on  the  plane 
you  will  see  different  positions  of  the  heavens  as  they  come  in 
view  at  different  times,  while  certain  positions  will  always  ap- 
pear in  a  fixed  direction 

Your  philosophers  saw  in  the  distant  heavens  groups  in 
fixed  relations,  and  possibly  said  that  they  were  planets  belong- 
ing to  other  suns,  but  in  coming  to  that  conclusion,  they 


94  A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

should  have  considered  that  if  their  own  system  of  planets  had 
changing  positions  and  relations,  it  must  necessarily  follow  that 
the  distant  planets,  supposed  to  be  moving  around  other  suns, 
would  also  show  changing  positions,  for  Nature  is  unvarying  in 
her  processes;  but  they  possibly  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
all  the  fixed  stars  were  suns  like  the  one  they  had  appropriated 
for  their  special  use,  which  they  set  out  a  few  millions  of  miles 
in  space;  but,  beiore  coming  to  such  a  conclusion  they  should 
have  considered  that  the  sun  being  separate  and  distinct  in  its 
organic  properties  of  matter,  that  another  sun  would  have  also 
been  distinct  and  unmistakable  in  its  identity  by  its  white 
light  and  fan-like  radiations  if  seen  in  the  great  distance  as  a 
mere  point  of  light  and  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  give  to  ' 
any  body  in  space  the  name  of  sun,  which  possessed  the  qual- 
ity of  bright  light  seen  in  their  own  group  and  surrounding 
planets. 

It  is  for  you  now  to  question,  whether  your  philosophers — 
while  they  have  been  very  telescopic  in  their  observations — 
have  not  been  decidedly  microscopic  in  their  knowledge  and 
conception  of  the  snn — of  its  size  and  power  and  the  incalcu- 
lable swift  motion  of  the  universe  around  it,  which  you  can  par- 
tially comprehend  when  you  consider  the  motion  of  magnetic 
currents  which  conduct  magnetized  bodies  to  the  utter  annihil- 
ation of  space. 

We  have  offered  these  lessons  in  kindness  and  love,  realiz- 
ing our  own  fallibility,  but  conscious  of  our  superior  power  of 
receiving  and  giving.  Your  system  of  life  is  full  of  false 
teachings,  as  well  as  false  taste.  You  cannot  make  true  knowl- 
edge out  of  false  learning  and  it  is  only  by  the  deepest  thought 
and  study  on  any  natural  sublect,  that  you  may  hope  to  reach 
the  truth.  We  now  leave  you  with  our  blessing,  hoping  that 
you  may  have  richer  stores  of  knowledge  in  your  mortal  life, 
and  higher  thoughts  and  anticipations  of  your  heavenly  home. 


THE       :VIINIX1IZED       SPIRIT       HEAVENS.         THE 
NIINIOSCOPE. 


I  wish  to  impress  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader  the  import- 
ance of  this  truth — as  gleaned  from  my  spirit  teachers,  That 
the  mind  of  the  spirit-person,  through  superior  medium  of  vis- 
ion, is  charged  with  a  great  variety  of  effects  in  impressions  of 
visible  things  and  becomes  the  conductor  of  reflections  of  in- 
trinsic beauties  and  charms  in  nature  which  produce  superior 
effects  upon  the  mind,  of  pleasure  or  gratification,  compared 
to  which  the  mind  in  the  mortal  state  is  in  a  condition  of  per- 
petual shadow. 

Our  teachers,  in  their  lessons  on  spirit  type,  have  shown  that 
superior  power  of  vision  is  an  associated  attribute  of  high  type 
which,  in  one  respect,  implies  greater  power  of  conducting  to 
the  mind  perfection  in  color  and  form.  In  our  mortal  life  we 
see  color  and  form  apparently  alike — as  far  as  impressions 
upon  the  mind  through  the  mediums  of  sight  are  concerned — 
although  we  may  not  all  see  alike  the  beauty  and  merits  in  any 
artistic  or  natural  color  or  form;  but  the  truth  that  superior 
type  implies  increased  mind-power  to  conduct  impressions  of 
the  beautiful  in  nature,  as  well  as  the  possession  of  certain  spec- 
ial gifts  of  vision,  it  should  be  a  lesson  to  us  of  the  ambitious 
pride  with  which  we  could  consider  our  existence  and  await 
our  immortality  in  the  hope  that  we  may  possess  that  spiritual 
development  which  will  enable  us  to  enjoy  the  best  of  all  there 
is  in  store  for  us  as  human  beings,  in  the  great  heavens  toward 
which  we  are  tending. 


96  A   VOICE    FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

It  appears,  from  what  I  have  learned,  that  a  curious  effect 
of  reflections  in  spirit  life,  is  that  a  bright  object  will  duplex  its 
form  in  a  moving  reflection  before  the  vision,  and  that  a  glance 
at  the  sun  will  effect  many  bright  spherical  reflections,  scintil- 
lating and  fading  away;  also  that  the  spirit-stars  will  reflect 
numerous  little  scintillating  star-shapes,  which  in  quivering 
motion  fade  away;  that  all  bright  reflections  affect  the  mind 
in  the  same  manner;  and  that  while  such  duplex  affects  are 
noticable  and  common  to  all,  there  is  a  certain  special  gift 
of  vision  which  is  not  possessed  by  all,  and  in  order  that  the 
reader  may  understand  the  nature  of  this  mysterious  gift,  I 
will  ask  you  to  imagine  a  view  of  a  section  of  the  starry  heav- 
ens diminished  to  a  focus  of  about  four  inches  in  diameter, 
appearing  before  your  eyes,  showing  a  little  depth,  or  sky,  in 
which  "you  would  see  all  the  planets  within  this  view  minim- 
ized, as  diminutive  spheres,  appearing  lighted,  and  showing 
their  surfaces  in  light  and  shade,  and  their  envelope  or  at- 
mosphere in  a  little  darker  shade  than  the  surrounding  ether. 
In  the  foreground  those  being  nearer  to  you  would  appear  the 
size  of  marbles,  with  light  and  shade  like  little  moons,  while 
those  in  the  perspective  would  appear  like  dots  of  pale  light. 
In  such  an  imaginary  view,  you  would  have  the  minimized 
heavens  of  the  planetary  outline  which  would  correspond  to  a 
real  vision  of  this  description  which  is  of  the  spiritual  outline,  and 
which  is  a  special  gift,  possessed  by  many  spirit  persons,  termed 
the  minioscope,  or  the  minioscopic  vision  which  strange  to 
know,  began  to  develope  in  the  writer  in  the  year  1872  when  I 
first  noticed  it  while  carelessly  looking  into  the  light  with  my 
eyes  partially  closed.  It  appeared  like  a  glassy  double  circu- 
lar space  which  united,  forming  a  little  blank  depth  within  the 
complete  circle,  which  was  about  four  inches  in  diameter,  and 
which  would  remain  in  form  directly  before  the  eyes, 
if  I  held  my  eyes  so  as  to  admit  a  certain  amount  of  light;  but 


OF  THF     • 


OR  STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL  WORLDS. 


if  I  gradually  opened  them,  the  circle  would  again  double  and 
become  invisible  in  wide  open  vision.  At  the  time,  I  regarded 
this  strange  effect  as  only  temporary,  but  found  that  at  any 
time,  by  closing  out  a  certain  amount  of  light  the  effect  would 
be  the  same;  and  I  further  discovered  that  by  looking  towards 
the  sun  this  little  blank  depth  would  appear  very  beautitul  in 
bright  prismatic  colors,  in  combinations  and  blendings,  such  as 
I  had  never  before  seen;  also  that  minute  dark  dots  were  to 
be  seen,  as  well  as  faint  thread-like  lines.  As  years  passed 
on,  I  noticed  these  dots  changed  to  perceptible  circles,  and 
new  ones  came  into  view,  while  the  original  ones  became 
more  defined,  and  the  faint  lines  enlarged  so  as  to  show  light 
and  shade.  I  was  satisfied  that  this  was  a  mysterious  power 
of  spirit-vision,  and  that  the  forms  were  diminutive  represen- 
tations and  reflections  of  spirit  bodies  in  space;  but  it  was  not 
until  my  sudden  opening  out  in  daily  conversation  with  my 
unseen  friends  that  I  became  enlightened  as  to  the  true  nature 
of  this  strange  vision,  and  that  I  possessed  the  minioscope 
prematurely  developed.  Fig.  9  represents  the  diamater  of  the 
scope  and  the  apparent  size  of  the  minimized  spirit  zones, 
and  spiral  veins,  which  always  appear  in  the  same  fixed  posi- 
tion and  relation  to  each  other. 

As  the  minioscopic  vision  does  not  depend  upon  any  special 
mental  condition,and  having  the  advantages  of  viewing  this  little 
depth  of  ringed  worlds  at  any  time  in  daylight,  I  have  become 
so  familiar  with  every  part  of  it  that  I  am  able  to  draw  a  very 
good  representation  from  memory.  During  the  last  four  years, 
since  my  development,  the  scope  has  shown  reflections  very 
much  increased  in  size,  as  well  as  a  greater  number  in  the  per- 
spective, and  in  a  good  sunlight  could  these  reflections  be 
taken  in  the  camera  as  strong  as  they  appear  in  this  minio- 
scope, they  could  be  plainly  photographed.  The  minimized 
zones  and  spiral  lines  in  the  foreground,  appear  pale  bright, 


A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 


Rig.  ©. 

like  the  moon  in  twilight,  showing  distinctly  light  and  shaded 
surfaces.  My  best  time  for  observations  is  early  sunrise,  or 
immediately  before  sunset  when  the  rays  are  not  as  oppressive 
on  the  eyes;  at  such  times  the  great  six-zone  body,  #,  at  the 
extreme  right  of  the  scope,  and  the  zones  b,  c  and  d  will 
plainly  show  the  rose  pink  glow  of  the  sunlight  cast  upon 
them  through  their  pink  ethers,  and  in  their  interspaces  I  can 


OR   STELLAR    AND    CELSTIAL    WORLDS.  99 

plainly  see  the  darker  lines  of  ethers,  those  between  the  two 
inter-rings  being  deep  blue,  and  in  the  super-celestial  spaces 
rose  pink.  In  the  zone  a,  can  be  seen,  in  strong  sun-light,  the 
line  of  purple  ethers  in  the  super-celestial  space.  I  am  told 
that  the  celestial  zones  are  not  all  alike  in  the  varying  tint  of 
their  ethers,  some  predominate  in  pink,  and  are  called  zones 
of  the  pink  ethers.  Others  predominate  in  deep  blue,  and 
are  named  the  zones  of  the  blue  ethers.  Others  predominate 
in  a  bright  golden,  partaking  of  a  slight  tint  of  green,  which 
are  called  zones  of  the  golden  ethers.  Others  predominate  in 
purple  tint,  and  are  named  zones  of  the  purple  ethers.  Zone 
a,  fig  9,  is  represented  about  as  I  see  it  in  bright  sun  light, 
when  the  sixth  and  outer  ring  is  plainly  visible  jpon  its  north- 
ern side.  I  am  told  that  minioscopic  vision  never  shows  stel. 
lar  zones,  the  lines  of  reflection  coming  from  the  great  ce- 
lestial bodies,  and  this  is  evident  from  the  appearance  in  my 
vision  of  one  of  the  spirit  suns.  The  irregular  shaped  body/, 
is  by  nature  the  same  as  the  spiral  veins;  its  lines  of  dark 
ethers  are  very  distinct  and  judging  from  comparision,  it  must 
be  of  very  great  diameter. 

The  thread  of  vision  by  which  the  minioscope  forms,  is  so 
very  small,  that  the  eye  must  be  held  very  steady,  as  the  least 
turn  of  the  eye  to  the  right  or  left  will  cause  the  reflections  in 
the  foreground  of  equal  magnitude  to  move  either  right  or  left 
entirely  out  of  the  scope,  according  as  the  eye  is  turned,  while 
those  in  distant  perspective  will  move  slightly,  and  those  in 
the  extreme  perspective  will  remain  motionless;  when  the 
general  effect  is  an  appearance  of  moving  in  both  directions, 
and  if  I  turn  the  eye  upward  the  same  effect  is  produced  by 
the  motion  downwards  out  of  the  scope;  and  in  like  manner 
if  the  eye  is  turned  downward  they  will  move  upward;  but 
upon  recovering  the  central  angle  every  reflection  will  resume 
its  original  position.  When  I  desire  to  see  a  change  in  the 


A   VOICE   FROM    THE   HEAVENS 


the  first  magnitude,  or  the  foreground,  I  slightly  turn  my  eyes  to 
left,  when  the  large  zones  and  spiral  veins  represented  in  the  cut 
will  move  to  the  right,  out  of  vision,  and  new  zones  and  veins 
of  the  same  magnitude  will  pass  in  from  the  left  of  the  scope 
and  pass  out  to  the  right,  giving  place  to  others,  and  this 
changing  scene  will  continue  as  long  as  the  angle  is  held  in 
*he  left,  and  if  I  turn  the  angle  to  the  right,  they  will  all  pass 
back  again,  true  to  form  and  position,  while  the  distant  reflec- 
tions will  remain  motionless;  but  if  holding  the  central  angle 
of  vision,  and  gradually  opening  the  eyes  the  distant  reflec- 
tions will  disappear,  while  the  first  magnitude  will  remain 
dimly  seen  in  the  open  air  but  very  much  magnified  in 
diameter. 

I  have  on  several  occasions  known  the  minioscope  to  fill 
with  an  entire  new  set  of  reflections,  showing  two  spirit  suns 
with  their  duplexes,  and  a  greater  depth  of  distant  zones  ap~ 
pearing  very  indistinct  and  so  close  together  that  they  would 
seem  to  overlap  each  other,  and  a  great  many  spiral-veins 
seen  running  in  all  directions,  sometimes  describing  a  loop, 
sometimes  serpentine,  sometimes  very  crooked.  They  are 
monster  heavenly  bodies  that  under  the  law  of  original  forma- 
tion are  exceptions  to  all  others;  but  the  law  that  gave  them 
their  irregular  and  elongated  forms  was  as  true  to  them  and 
the  natural  purposes  they  serve  the  spirit  heavens,  as  it  was  to 
the  zone  and  sphere.  They  always  appear  in  the  minioscope 
showing  distinct  dark  lines  on  each  side,  which  is  their  en- 
velope, or  magnetic  ethers  which  carries  the  traveling  spirit 
millions  of  miles  in  a  week's  time.  My  spirit  teachers  do  not 
seem  to  know  that  these  great  lines  revolve  by  force  of  their 
swift  magnetic  currents  which  move  around — them  in  a  west  to 
east  spiral;  but  if  they  do  not  revolve,  then,  like  the  constella- 
tions, which  on  their  plane  change  front,and  single  planets  poles, 
towards  the  sun  during  one  revolution — they  would  be  dark  on 


OR    STELLAR   AND    CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


one  side  or  the  other  in  alternations,  during  a  great  length  of 
time  or  one  revolution,  while  their  nether  surfaces  would  never 
be  in  sunlight. 

In  the  minioscopic  vision  represented  by  fig  9,  one  of  the 
spirit  suns,  e;  appears  as  a  diminutive  sphere  of  white  light, 
and  its  duplex  is  seen  in  the  left  distance,  appearing  not  quite 
so  bright  but  unmistakable  in  its  identity  as  a  reflection. 

A  comparative  size  of  the  spiral  lines  and  zones  can  be 
imagined,  when  we  consider  that  the  outmost  zone  of  any  of 
the  celestial  bodies  is  of  much  greater  diameter  than  our  earth, 
and  that  the  spiral-veins,  seen  reflected  in  the  distant  depth  of 
the  minioscope,  appear  nearly  as  great  in  diameter  as  the  cen- 
tral celestial  zone.  I  consider  that  the  veins  seen  in  the  ad- 
vance depth  of  the  minioscope  and  the  zones  a,  &,  c  and  */,  are 
all  of  the  same  magnitude.* 

As  I  have  already  intimated,  when  the  eyes  are  opened  wide, 
the  minioscope  with  its  minimized  heavens  disappears,but  that  it 
still  really  exists  invisible,  in  increased  diameter  is  evident  from 
the*  fact  that  the  spiral-veins  will  often  come  before  my  wide 
open  vision  apparantly  some  rods  distant  appearing  at  times 
about  two  feet  in  diameter,  possessing  the  color  of  the  moon, 
as  seen  by  us  in  daylight,  showing  light  and  shade,  and  if 
perchance  the  reflection  comes  between  me  and  a  building  or 
object,  it  will  eclipse  just  so  much  of  the  same  from  view,  and 
as  long  as  I  hold  the  eye  steady  in  the  direction  in  which  it 
appears,  it  will  remain  motionless,  but  if  I  turn  the  eye,  it  will 
move  away  but  never  dissolves  or  vanishes. 

The  minioscope  is  not  dependent  upon  daylight  for  its 
formation,  but  is  ever  in  existence,  and  like  any  other  spirit 
attribute  to  have  once  possession  is  to  retain  eternally. 

*It  must  be  understood  that  by  the  term  spiral  vein,  it  is  meant  the  spiral 
circuit,  and  not  that  the  veins  are  spiral, 


A   VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 


I  am  told  that  the  minioscope  is  rarely  possessed  and  seems  to 
be  the  result  of  a  special  mind  power  of  conducting  spirit  reflec- 
tions, and  that  it  is  liable  to  be  developed  in  persons  who  are 
comparatively  weak  in  other  attributes,  and  not  possessed  even 
by  many  of  the  exalted  rank;  also  that  is  of  greater  diameter 
in  spirit-life,  showing  reflections  much  increased  in  size.  On 
a  cloudy  day  the  reflections  appear  watery  and  dim,  and  when 
the  minioscope  is  lighted  by  artificial  light,  they  are  much  less 
magnified.  It  is  noticed  that  the  plane  appears  in  full  farce 
or  verticle  towards  the  vision,  showing  the  true  circle  of  the 
zones,  on  a  plane  with  the  spiral  lines,  which  are  seen  running 
in  many  directions  across  the  scope,  and  are  not  seen  extend- 
ing into  the  depth  towards  the  perspective,  where  again  other 
zones  and  lines  are  seen  reflected  on  a  plane  corresponding 
to  the  first  magnitude.  There  is  however  one  exception  in 
another  set  of  reflections — not  represented  in  the  cut — where  a 
spiral-vein  is  seen  extending  back  into  the  depth  evidently 
through  a  great  many  millions  of  miles,  when  it  curves  up- 
ward on  the  plane,  and  if  the  eye  is  turned  slightly  down,  the 
advance  view  will  swing  upward  out  of  scope,  while  the  distant 
portion  of  the  line  remains  stationary. 

I  learn  from  my  teachers  that  the  zones  do  not  have  their 
equipose,  in  space,  horizontally  on  the  plane;  but  have  inclin- 
ation— like  the  planets — which  exposes  more  of  their  surfaces  to 
the  sun,  while  if  there  was  no  inclination,  their  nether  surfaces 
would  receive  but  little  light  or  warmth,  and  that  as  it  is,  the 
nether  ethers  are  much  less  affected  by  the  sun's  rays. 

In  contemplating  these  great  spirit  bodies,the  reader  has  doubt- 
less asked  the  question,  What  is  the  color  of  the  soil,  the  nature  of 
the  vegetation,  etc.  The  reflections  in  the  minioscope  do  not 
show  much  color  on  surfaces  except  in  a  strong  sunlight  when 
the  central  zone  of  the  six  zone  body,  a  shows  a  tint  of  choco- 
late brown,  but  I  am  instructed  that  the  general  surface  ap- 


OR    STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  103 

pearance  is  white,  with  shades  of  brown  increasing  in  approach 
to  the  pure  white  of  the  super-zones',  and  that  green,  as  natural 
to  planetary  vegetation,  is  almost  rejected  in  spirit  outline,  and 
is  considered  a  base  color,  which  only  enters  vegetation  as  a 
very  light  shade;  that  general  vegetation  exists  in  a  great  vari- 
ety of  colors,  in  inter-blendings,  and  that  spirit  nature  is  very 
extravagant  in  her  beautiful  designs  and  adornments  in  grow- 
ing vegetable  forms  which  are  exclusively  natural  to  spirit,  and 
that  as  one  zone  of  a  spirit  body  or  combination,  exceeds  an- 
other outward  in  greater  circle,  so  does  it  supercede  another 
in  natural  designs  in  delicacy  of  form  and  diversity  of  color. 

The  secret  power  through  a  law  in  nature  which  affects  the 
minioscopic  vision,  with  such  minuteness  of  outline  in  color, 
light  and  shade,  must  ever  remain  a  mystery;  but  taking  this 
personal  gift  as  a  basis  upon  which  to  form  a  conception  of 
the  true  nature  of  the  spirit  heavens,  I  am  led  to  be- 
lieve that  after  all  our  thoughts  of  the  immensity  of  the  nlan- 
€tary  universe,  it  is  but  a  minimized  universe  in  comparison  to 
the  spiritual,  which,  in  its  vast  extent  and  size,  divine  nature 
has  evidently  planned  for  an  eternity  of  time  in  which  to  re- 
ceive its  humanity  in  its  upward  progress  from  the  planetary 
or  basic  outline. 

In  the  sight  of  the  great  spirit  heavens  we  soon  shall  stand? 
and  tread  those  white  lands  of  beauty,  with  the  rejuvinated 
humanity  that  has  preceded  us.  Heaven  is  so  complete  and 
lavish  in  its  grandeur,  and  marvelous  beauty  and  perfection  of 
its  risen  humanity.  It  has  such  inducements  for  us  in  advan- 
tages for  the  enjoyment  of  life.  It  is  to  be  aspired  to,  as  a 
future  and  unavoidable  condition  in  life,  through  a  personal 
pride  and  desire  for  the  best  possible  natural  accomplishments. 
Our  transition  is  so  easy,  so  sweet  and  welcome,  which  leads 
us  to  those  heavenly  glories.  This  you  may  know  from  one 
who  has  once  gone  out  in  conscions  mental  occupation  of  his 


104  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

spirit  form,  although  not  in  open  vision — has  inhaled  the  frag- 
rant spirit  ethers,  and  heard  the  sweet  voices  of  heavenly  be- 
ings. 

Let  us  as  a  male  sex  begin  a  regeneration  in  our  spirit-growth 
by  purer  thoughts  and  actions  and  let  there  be  a  new  and 
purer  generation  in  the  future  which  shall  yield  a  higher  re- 
presentation of  our  sex  in  spirit.  Let  us  as  a  sex  in  future  be- 
come aspirants  and  competitors  with  the  universe  of  mortal 
life  for  honors  and  rank  in  the  heavens.  Let  us  be  ready  for 
the  next  grand  transit  when  the  queens  shall  come  to  lead 
again  their  millions  to  higher  and  sweeter  homes  in  the  celes- 
tial heavens. 


OR      STELLAR      AMD   CELESTIAL    WORLDS.  IO5 


REFERENCES  TO   FOREGOING   LESSONS. 


The  lessons  on  spirit  approach  to  mortals  teach  the  absolute 
dethronement  of  the  spirit  person's  natural  mentality  and  the 
reinstatement  of  mortal  senses,  memories,  propensities  and 
mental  power,  which  is  but  partially  illuminated  in  his  ability 
to  speak  of  his  spiritual  state.  Hence,  it  follows  that  in  the 
double  abnormal  condition  of  spirit  and  medium,  direct  spirit- 
ual revelation  cannot  be  expected,  whiie  abundant  tests  of  the 
spirit's  presence  and  identity  may  be  given  while  he  is  in  pos- 
session of  original  mortal  faculties  and  memories. 

The  mortalized  condition  and  intermediate  mental  stage  of 
the  spirit  person,  in  all  known  cases  of  mediumship,  may  be 
proved  by  the  truth  that  no  two  mediums  through  their  con- 
trolling spirits  will  communicate  with  each  other,  which  would, 
and  could  be  done  providing  that  the  spirit  was  normal  in  his 
presence  and  control  of  the  'medium  and  open  in  his  inter, 
course  with  the  normal  spirit,  who  could  correctly  communi- 
cate the  words  received  at  one  given  point  and  repeat  them  at 
any  other  given  point  at  will.  I  am  instructed  that  in  some 
special  phases  of  mediumship  the  spirit  in  his  supreme  mental 
stage — exterior  to  the  medium — may  gather  quite  correctly 
from  thought  emanations  the  words  uttered  in  the  presence  of 
the  medium  and  control,  but  that  in  most  cases  the  intermedi- 
ate mental  condition  is  entirely  impenetrable  by  the  normal 
spirit. 

It  is  evident  then,  that  the  mental  efforts  of  the  controlling 
spirit  and  medium  cannot  be  taken  as  a  representation  of  the 


106  A    VOICE    FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

brain-power  of  the  spiritual  life  which,  in  its  general  average  is 
the  conductor  of  great  mental  force  and  activity. 

The  mortal  person  who  reaches  the  normal  spirit  has  no 
speculative  philosophy  regarding  the  future  life,  for  to  him  it 
is  the  culmination  of  divine  nature's  designs  for  human  life  in 
the  stupendous  universe  of  spirit  with  its  untol<'  wealth  of 
natural  grandeur,  human  splendor  and  power.  The  spiritual- 
istic researcher  and  medium  who  deals  through  the  maze  and 
daze  of  the  trance — who  is  journeying  towards  the  heavens 
burdened  with  his  bundle  of  occultism,  phenomena,  psychic- 
force,  deisms  and  theisms — I  leave  in  undisputed  possession  of 
his  road  and  load,  realizing  the  truth  that,  as  he  passes  the 
portal  which  opens  to  his  heavenly  home,  he  will  be  compelled 
to  drop  his  heavy  bundle  and  stand  unloaded  where  human 
life  t*  its  best  intents  and  purposes  has  just  begun. 

From  the  spirits'  lessons  upon  our  product  of  human  life  in 
spirit,  and  the  seeming  permanent  effects  of  spiritual  weakness, 
we  should  feel  the  importance  of  the  opportunity  of  our  lives 
here  for  labor,  in  teaching  the  relations  in  causes  and  effects 
existing  between  mortality  and  spirit.  In  regard  to  these 
effects  my  teachers  have  spoken  only  in  general  terms — having 
in  view  the  great  predominance  of  the  low  grade — as  they 
could  not,  in  the  space  allowed,  enlarge  upon  the  subject  and 
select  special  classes  and  give  their  probable  spirit- type. 

I  feel  that  I  would  that  all  this  world  might  realize  as  I  do 
the  truth  of  our  immortality,  and  the  humanity  in  spirit  life 
who  are  ever  in  the  presence  of  the  bad  effects  of  this  planet's 
humanity,  who  would  cry  out  in  their  prayers  to  us  that  we  may 
do  or  say  something — to  our  spiritually  weak  and  blind  mor- 
tality— that  might  improve  such  conditions,  and  if  we  are  true 
in  our  belief  of  the  immortal  life,  we  should  strive  to  inspire 
impulses  for  spiritual  growth  in  the  midst  of  the  weak,  and  re- 
spect the  sensitive  sympathetic  feelings  of  our  sisters  and 


OR   STELLAR   AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  IO7 

brothers  who  have  passed  from  our  sight — who  must  forever 
feel  the  importance  of  the  mortal  life's  work  which  they  uncon- 
sciously left  undone. 

It  is  an  important  truth  as  gleaned  from  my  teachers  that 
there  are  extreme  cases  of  low  vitality  in  many  forms  fresh 
born  into  spirit  to  the  degree  that  the  word  resuscitation  ap- 
plies in  the  almost  futile  efforts  of  the  attending  angels  to  save 
the  life  and  form  which  has  been  subject  to  low  and  devitaliz- 
ing thoughts  and  propensities.  Nature,  they  say,  never  fails 
in  her  work  of  instantaneous  union  of  form  with  its  natural 
element  and  condition,  but  how  feeble,  how  narrow  the 
chances  and  circurr  stances  through  which  some  weak  duals 
draw  their  first  breath  in  the  spirit  ethers.  My  dear  reader, 
there  are  scenes  portrayed  to  me  of  such  transitions  of  which 
I  cannot  speak.  It  is  enough  for  you  and  me  to  know  that 
there  are  cases  of  transition  over  which  spirits  weep  as  mortals 
know  not  how. 

The  substance  of  the  law  and  rule  in  the  spirits'  lessons 
upon  thought-imagery,  inform  culture  through  thought  processes, 
and  as  this  law  applies  to  the  mortal  form,  it  also,  with  greater 
force,  applies  to  the  companion  spirit  dual  form. 

The  teachers  would  have  us  realize  the  importance  of  the 
little  tendencies  in  pure  thoughts  and  manners,  and  self-cul- 
ture from  childhood,  through  our  entire  course  of  life,  as  the 
generative  processes  of  strong  enfoldment  of  our  spirit  forms 
and  powers  in  mature  years. 

As  to  the  spirits'  revelation  of  the  existing  contrasts  between 
the  male  and  female  on  the  ascending-plane,  she  has  touched 
the  subject  gently,  and  I  have  been  led  into  this  unpleasant 
truth  by  very  cautious  approaches  on  her  part.  She  considers 
that  while  there  is  that  beautiful  and  exalted  side  to  our  sex, 
they  are  so  few  in  number  compared  to  the  whole.  These 
revelations  then,  should  prompt  us  to  enquire  whether  in  the 


IO8  A   VOICE  FROM   THE    HEAVENS 

midst  of  degenerating  tendencies  and  habits  we  have  not  sub- 
sided into  a  state  of  chronic  decline  to  which  we  have  become 
second-natured,  and  learned  to  believe  that  it  is  the  best  that 
nature  affords. 

I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  exalted  personages  in  spirit, 
who  are  conversant  with  our  condition,  regard  the  habit  of 
speed — in  the  attempt  to  tax  the  utmost  capacity  of  business 
operations  and  travel  into  the  least  possible  period  of  time — as 
a  species  of  insanity.  Such  a  state  of  affairs  is  so  directly  op- 
posite to  the  habit  of  the  spirit  who  does  all  things  with  delib' 
eration  and  by  slow  and  sure  degrees.  They  would  have  us 
feel  that  in  this  shadowy  existence  we  are  but  working  our 
passage  to  our  celestial  homes,  and  that  thoughtless  haste 
makes  ruinous  waste  and  leaves  our  mortal  life's  opportunity 
neglected  and  its  preparatory  work  unfinished.  They  cannot 
see  us  directly,  yet  they  trace  our  condition  of  life  correctly 
from  mortal  causes  to  spiritual  effects.  They  consider  our  sys- 
tem of  life  overloaded  with  a  miscellaneous  accumulation  of  viti- 
ating habits,  far-fetched  obscure  traditions  and  beliefs,  unrea- 
sonable and  unspiritual  dogmas,  and  false  education,  and 
under  this  burden  thousands  of  our  humanity  travel  heaven- 
ward until  at  last  their  heavy  load  sinks  down  the  river  of 
death,  while  they  struggle  wearily  to  the  "other  shore."  They 
see  us  in  our  somber  atmosphere — cold,  exacting,  forbidding 
and  selfish  and  in  the  prevailing  masculine  savagery — that  pre- 
dominates all  the  way  from  the  cart-driver  to  the  millionaire — 
•'the  brighter  side  of  our  male  life  is  almost  invisible,  in  the  few 
living  in  labor  for  humanity,  who  from  youth  to  manhood  feel 
the  divine  clasp  of  angel  hands  that  would  lead  to  heaven  up 
golden  steps  of  spiritual  promise  and  happiness. 

In  regard  to  the  lessons  on  planetary  motion  it  is  not  our 
purpose  to  attack  popular  astronomy,  but  to  simply  explain 
planetary  motion,  as  understood  and  taught  by  the  spirit, 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  IO9 

which  is  known  to  be  \heforce  of  magnetic  currents  and  circuits 
existing  in  rapid  motion  in  fixed  locations  and  directions. 

In  the  celestial  sphere  of  ancient  Pythagoras,  and  as  retained 
up  to  the  present  day  by  "practical  astronomy"  we  have  the 
universe,  as  it  seems,  locating  ourselves  in  the  center  and  the 
stellar  heavens  apparently  surrounding  us  on  all  sides;  but 
"things  are  not  always  as  they  seem,"  and  this  adage  may  be 
especially  applied  to  our  study  and  contemplation  of  the  stellar 
heavens  which  seem  to  surround  us. 

Our  teachers  have  illustrated  the  motion  of  bodies  in  space 
as  groups— or  single,  isolated  planets — in  fixed  positions  and 
relations.  Fig.  4.  illustrates  the  group  in  orbital  revolution 
alternating  in  its  relation  to  the  sun  and  its  planets  in  apparent 
direction  and  relation  to  each  other  during  one  revolution, 
but  at  the  same  time  maintaining  their  fixed  positions  and 
showing  the  possibility  of  phases  and  transits  to  each  other. 

We  are  to  consider  our  system  of  planets  as  a  group  or  clus- 
ter occupying  a  fixed  position  in  the  grand-plane  which  con- 
sists of  groups  revolving  around  the  sun.  Zenith  we  must 
consider  in  the  sense  of  outward,  not  upward,  from  the  center 
and  due  north  and  south,  respectively,  as  upward  and  down- 
ward. This  can  be  easily  comprehended  when  we  view  the 
stars  in  the  grand-plane,  which  are  directly  outward  and  see 
them  rising  and  setting,  while  those  in  the  north  will  never 
rise  nor  set,  and  those  in  the  south  will  be  seen  briefly  to  rise  and 
set  while  the  few  scattering  stars  in  low  southern  horizon,  as 
viewed  from  our  northern  hemisphere,  will  not  rise  to  our  view, 
owing  to  our  position  as  observers  in  the  northern  hemisphere 
also  to  the  inclination  of  the  earth;  but  should  we  go  to  the 
southern  hemisphere  the  stars  that  do  not  now  rise  would  then 
come  in  view,  and  we  would  look  down  into  the  southern  hori 
zon,  into  a  starless  and  worldless  void  just  as  we  now  view  the 
same  in  direct  northern  horizon. 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


If  our  earth  had  no  inclination  and  had  its  equipoise  with 
its  poles  perpendicular,  or  up  and  down  to  the  plane,  [See  Fig, 
10.]  then,  to  the  observer  on  the  equator,  the  stars  in  the 
north  and  those  in  the  south  would,  alike,  never  rise  nor  set. 
Located  as  we  are  in  the  grand-plane,  revolving  from  west  to 
east,  we  must  always  view  stars  directly  outward  in  zenith,  ap- 
proaching us  in  the  east  and  setting  in  the  west,  and  the  seem- 
ing effect  is  that  we  are  surrounded  by  a  sphere  of  stars  and  we 
must  necessarly  be  surrounded  on  all  sides  except  up  and  down, 
and  the  fact  that  stars  appear  on  all  sides  outward,  right  and 
left,  is  evidence  that  our  group  occupies  a  central  position  in 
the  grand-plane;  for  if  our  planet  was  located  in  extreme  inter 
or  outer  boundary,  then,  in  the  course  of  one  revolution  we 
would  be  turned  facing  the  blank  void.  Should  we  in  imagin- 
ation cause  the  earth  to  revolve  south  to  north,  then  we  would 
see  the  grand-plane  in  the  east  and  west  never  rising  or  setting 
and  zenith  north  and  south  would  appear  a  blank  and  starless 
space. 

As  I  accept  these  lessons,  I  have  one  particular  interest  in 
our  constellation,  and  that  is  to  know  the  planets  of  which  it 
is  composed.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  all  planets 
which  are  seen  to  change  in  relation  to  the  distant  stars  are 
members  of  our  group  or  correspond  to  us  in  their  revolution 
around  the  sun. 

It  is  observed  at  this  time  (June  i,  1890)  that  four  members 
of  our  group  are  unusually  brilliant:  Venus,  Mars,  Saturn  and 
Jupiter.  At  eight  o'clock  p.  M.  Venus,  Mars  and  Saturn  are  visi- 
ble. At  nine  o'clock  Venus  and  Saturn  have  set  while  Mars  in  its 
bright  golden  light  remains  in  the  south,  the  only  large  star  visible. 
At  thirty  minutes  past  eleven  o'clock  Jupiter  is  seen  rising  in  the 
southeast.  From  eight  to  twelve 'we  have  viewed  four  mem- 
bers of  our  group  from  our  standpoint  as  a  relative  member 
and  the  assumption  is  that  those  which  appear  the  largest,  and 


OR  STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


Kig.     1O. 

Grand-plane  and  Earth's  Group.  —  Polar  angle  N  and  S.  as  angle  of  inclination: 
Verticle  angle  representing  upper  and  nether  relations  and  dividing  line  of  light  and 
shadow. 


OF  THK 
TT'Vr  TTTT->T->  r^ 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 


are  in  easiest  telescopic  magnitude,  must  be  our  nearest  rela- 
tives, and  we  may  presume  that  as  our  relatives  appear  to  us 
in  brilliancy  and  changing  position  of  view,  we  must  likewise 
appear  to  them.  As  our  vision  crosses  the  distant  spaces  we 
see  the  distant  groups  in  the  great  depth  beyond  us,  so  far 
away  that  our  own  group  of  bright  stars  seem  like  neighbors 
and  companions  as  they  really  are,  while  the  distant  constella- 
tions, twinkling  with  their  pale  light,  defy  the  strongest  tele- 
scope. 

As  we  view  the  stars  of  our  group,  we  see  them  in  apparent 
variation,  in  size  and  brilliancy,  at  different  times,  which  may 
be  accounted  for  by  their  different  positions  in  relation  to  the 
sun,  as  it  is  seen  that  the  group  presents  a  different  front  to- 
wards the  sun  from  everv  section  of  its  orbit  and  it  may  be 
true,  that  as  it  makes  different  revolutions  around  the  sun  it 
will  show  apparent  variation  in  positions  of  its  planets  in  their 
relation  to  the  same,  but  the  law  of  fixed  relations  does  not 
admit  of  our  group  of  planets  changing  positions  in  relation  to 
each  other.  Taking  the  distant  groups  as  a  guide — as  to  vari- 
ation in  size  of  the  different  members  of  our  own  group — we 
cannot  admit  that  there  may  be  very  much  difference  in  their 
respective  sizes,  for  the  distant  constellations  show  stars  of 
about  equal  size  and  brilliancy. 

It  will  be  seen — from  Fig.  4 — that  if  our  planet  may  be  in 
position  £,  in  west  relation  to  the  sun,  the  planet  in  our  group 
which  may  be  in  position  #,  will  appear  more  brilliant  than  it 
will  when  in  east  relation,  when  our  positions,  respectively,  a 
and  £,  are  opposite  and  reversed  to  what  they  are  wh  :n  in  west 
relation.  It  is  believed  that  our  group  does  not  always  main- 
tain a  perfect  plane  with  a  grand-plane,  but  that  it  has  more  or 
less  inclination,  in  the  same  manner  and  direction  that  the 
planet  is  inclined,  and  that  such  inclination  [See  Fig.  10]  is 
greater  or  less  at  different  revolutions  of  the  group  around  the 


OR  STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS.  1 13 

sun.  If  this  be  true,  it  would  follow  that  planets  which  may 
be  located  in  the  center  of  the  group  and  have  their  relative 
positions  in  east  and  west  directions,  as  illustrated  by  a  and  £, 
fig.  4,  such  planets  will,  in  relation  to  each  other,  always  ap- 
pear regular  in  directions  of  rising  and  setting,  and  #,  when  in 
west  relation  will  show  phases  to  £,  and  when  in  east  relation 
will  show  its  full  face,  when  £,  will  in  turn  show  phases  to  a, 
while  those  located  at  the  north  pole  of  the  group,  and  those 
in  the  south,  will  vary  in  their  directions  and  times  in  which 
they  are  seen  rising  and  setting,  and  will  always  show  nearly  full 
farce. 

The  positions  a  and  £,  fig.  4,  are  very  suggestive  of  the 
probable  relative  positions  of  the  earth,  Venus  and  Mercury, 
and  assuming  that  the  earth  occupies  position  £,  and  Venus  a- 
in  west  relation,  it  is  evident  that  if  a,  b  and  sun  form  a  direct 
angle,  a  will  pass  near  or  over  the  disk  of  the  sun.  Hence  the 
transits  common  to  Venus  and  Mercury. 

An  imaginary  line  extending  directly  outward  from  the 
earth's  equator  in  the  direction  of  zenith,  would  describe  the 
centre  of  the  arc,  of  the  grand  plane  in  which  we  are  located; 
or  it  might  be  considered  a  horizontal  line  in  the  sense  that 
we  use  the  term  perpendicular  to  define  up  and  down.  See  fig. 
10. 

As  we  look  in  the  direction  of  zenith  or  meridian,  the 
plane  appears  more  densely  studded  with  stars  and  clusters 
because  we  are  looking  outward  through  the  centre  of  the 
great  arc  of  the  plane.  It  is  not  possible  for  us  to  form  any 
conception  of  the  extent,  in  width,  of  the  great  circular  plane 
of  the  worlds;  but  the  depth,  in  a  perpendicular  or  longitudr 
nal  sense,  we  can  conceive  when  we  consider  the  inclination 
of  the  groups  and  the  probable  different  locations  of  their 
planets  above  or  below  the  centre — or  perfect  plane. 

We  admit  that  it  is  not  possible  for  us  to  understand,  from 


114  A  VOICE   FROM   THE   HEAVENS 

the  group  hypothesis,  the  various  positions  of  our  planets;  but 
at  the  same  time  we  confess  our  inability  to  understand  their 
various  positions  of  view  from  the  plan  of  popular  astronomy. 
At  [the  present  time  we  have  Jupiter,  Mars  and  Venus  be- 
fore us  appearing  in  their  positions  during  the  night,  at  almost 
equal  distances  apart.  Mars  and  Jupiter  according  to  popular 
astronomy,  are  now  in  position  called  "opposition"  which  im- 
plies the  same  [side  with  and  nearest  to  the  earth.  Venus  is 
also  on  the  same  side  with  the  earth,  but  being  considered  an 
inter-orbital  planet  its  'position  is  designated  as  the  "inferior 
conjunction"  where  our  lovely  and  claiscal  Vesper  is  now  seen 
as  the  evening  star,  and  according  to  popular  astronomy  is 
seen  26,000,000  miles  from  us;  but  within  a  few  months 
hence  astronomy  asks  us  to  look  across  164,000,000  miles  and 
behold  Venus  on  opposite  side  or,  as  they  say  westward  of 
the  sun  in  what  is  termed  its  "superior  conjunction"  when  it  is 
seen  in  full  phase,  and  to  the  unpracticed  eye  but  very  little 
diminished  in  brilliancy.  Mars  which  is  now  claimed  to  be 
about  46,000,000  miles  from  earth  is  also  within  a  few  months 
placed  in  its  "conjunction"  when  we  are  asked  to  view  it  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  sun  across  the  space  of  236,000,000 
miles  when  to  the  unpracticed  eye,  it  appears  in  about  its 
usual  brilliancy.  Jupiter  also  now  In  opposition,  is  claimed 
to  be  385, ot  0,000  miles  from  us,  and  we  are  asked  in  the  fu- 
ture to  view  it  in  its  "conjunction"  across  the  handsome  dis- 
tance of  575,000,000  miles  when  it  appears  bright  as  ever  to 
the  unpracticed  eye. 

It  will  be  seen  from  fig  10  that  from  the  darkened  hemi- 
sphere of  our  earth  from  any  position  of  view,  as  we  revolve 
from  the  dividing  line  of  light  and  shadow  in  the  west,  to  the 
same  in  the  east,  we  must  necessarily  see  that  portion  of  the 
heavens  which  is  opposite  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  sun,  and 
stars  that  are  seen  in  the  morning  and  evening  dividing  lines 


OR      STELLAR      AND   CELESTIAL    WORLDS. 


of  light  and  shadow—  or  in  the  twilight  —  are  viewed  from  the 
oval  of  the  earth,  and  not  in  a  direct  east  or^west  line  of  the 
grand  plane. 

It  will  be  seen  from  Fig.  10  that  the  earth's  group  is  rep- 
resented in  west  relation,  and  that  the  dark  hemisphere  is 
turned  towards  the  western  heavens,  and  that  stars  located  in 
the  dividing  lines  of  light  and  shadow  if  large  enough  can  be 
seen,  when  the  sun  and  the  entire  heavens  on  its  opposite  side 
cannot  be  seen;  but  as  we  move  to  east  relation  the  darkened 
hemisphere  is  turned  towards  a  different  portion  of  the.  heavens 
which  we  did  not  see  six  months  previous.  It  is  believed  that 
the  inter-plane  moves  faster  than  the  outer-plane,  which  would 
cause  changing  appearances  in  some  views  while  other  portions 
will  move  with  us,  and  always  appear  in  same  position  and 
direction. 

From  the  appearance  and  disappearance  of  comets,  popular 
astronomy  virtually  admits  that  the  sun  must  exert  his  power 
beyond  the  most  distant  visible  star,  for  many  of  these  strange 
travelers  have  never  returned  from  the  great  distance  from 
which  they  at  first  came  in  view  in  the  power  of  the  great  sun, 
and  were  they  the  small  bodies  as  claimed  by  astronomy,  then, 
according  to  the  popular  law  of  gravitation  they  should  revolve 
around  —  in  close  proximity  to  —  the  sun. 

In  reference  to  the  lessons  on  natural  heat,  we  are  to  un- 
derstand that  the  sun  is  in  itself  an  element  of  vital,  creative? 
governing  forces,  and  that  natural  heat  is  simply  a  creation  of 
these  forces  in  union  with  atmosphere,  and  that  no  ray  of  nat- 
ural light  from  any  planet  in  space  can  contain  a  particle  of 
heat,  which  can  only  exist  within  the  limits  of  the  planet's 
luminous  atmosphere,  which  luminous  atmosphere  alone  can 
render  the  planet  visible  in  its  position  in  space.  It  is  evident, 
then,  that  the  distant  stars  which  show  such  bright  active  light, 
are  supported  by  very  strong  atmosphere  which  the  action  of 
the  sun's  rays  renders  intensely  luminous.* 


Il6  A   VOICE   FROM    THE    HEAVENS 

It  is  apparent  to  the  reader  that  these  teachings  do  not  har- 
monize with  our  astronomers'  fiery  sun,  and  its  heated  atmos- 
phere, and  if  we  are  to  consider  the  possibility  of  the  truth  as 
set  forth  in  these  lessons,  it  remains  for  us  to  question  whether 
our  astronomers — in  their  telescopic  wisdom — have  not  failed 
to  read  a  single  correct  "answer  in  the  stars"  they  scanned. 
They  have  studied  the  bright  stars  in  the  distant  spaces  and 
pronounced  them  suns,  as  the  natural  conclusion  has  been 
that  they  must  be  very  large  bodies  to  appear  in  such  strong 
light,  for  the  reason  that  in  our  own  group  there  are  several 
planets  which  do  not  appear  to  the  unaided  eye  only  as  stars 
of  the  fifth  or  sixth  magnitude  and  shine  with  the  same  pale; 
leaden  light.  The  reasoning  then  is,  that  we  cannot  consider 
the  fixed  stars  as  suns  when  they  appear  with  the  same  light 
common  to  the  planets  which  we  positively  know  are  not  suns. 
It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  if  in  imagination  we  transfer  Jupi- 
ter, Mars  and  Venus  to  the  group  named  Ursa  major,  or  the 
Great  Bear,  that  they  would  appear  in  about  the  same  magni- 
tude and  in  the  same  pale  light,  and  become  quite  as  incapa- 
ble of  being  studied  by  the  telescope,  and  that  planets — which 
are  members  of  our  group  and  in  telescopic  power — which  are 
scarcely  visible  to  naked  vision,  if  transferred  to  said  constel- 
lation would  become  invisible,  and  could  not  be  seen  by  aid  of 
the  telescope.  From  this  course  of  reasoning  and  from  what 
we  have  learned  from  our  teachers  of  the  nature  and  forces  of 
the  sun,  it  becomes  impossible  for  us  to  accept  the  conclusion 
of  modern  astronomy  that  all  the  fixed  stars  are  suns,  or  that 
any  other  sun  can  be  seen  in  the  stellar  heavens  around  us; 
ffor  if  such  were  the  truth  it  would  be  unmistakable  in  its 

*It  is  to  be  understood  that  the  answer  in  regard  to  the  form  of  the  atmos 
jphere— as  represented  by  Fig.  8— has  reference  to  the  longitudinal  outline  from 
pole  to  pole.  The  real  form  of  the  atmosphere  is  understood  to  be  a  flattened 
-sphere,  much  more  so  than  the  globe.  The  spirit  magnetic  sphere  is  understood 
to  be  oval  or  egg-shaped,  the  eliptic  outline  extending  right  and  left. 


OR   STELLAR    AND   CELESTIAL   WORLDS. 


identity  by  its  great  size  and  peculiar  light,  which  is  only  imita- 
ted by  the  self-luminous  comets  which  are  believed  to  possess 
the  same  properties  and  forces  as  the  sun;  and  should  one  of 
them,  approach  our  earth  so  near  that  its  radiations  would  pen- 
etrate our  atmosphere,  the  effect  would  be  electric  agitation, 
and  in  the  shadow  luminous  atmospheric  disturbance  while  the 
comet  would  appear  increased  in  brilliancy. 

In  regard  to  the  plurality  of  suns,  we  are  again  in  direct  op- 
position to  popular  astronomy;  which  claims  to  have  studied 
18,000,000  suns,  and  to  have  analyzed  the  chemical  properties 
pertaining  to  the  same;  but  before  they  attempt  to  furnish  us  a 
report  of  the  sun  and  its  light  and  properties;  they  must  neces- 
sarily step  outside  the  atmospheric  element,  and  there  in  the 
dusky  ethers  determine  the  nature  of  the  sun's  light  as  a  single 
element,  and  then  we  will  accept  their  analysis  as  knowledge; 
but  cannot  accept  their  analysis  of  the  sun  from  a  ray  of  light 
which  has  its  basis  in  the  atmosphere  which  in  itself  contains 
all  the  elements  which  the  spectrum  indicates,  and  as  regards 
the  light  of  other  planets  we  must  consider  chemical  properties 
—  which  such  rays  of  light  indicate  —  from  the  atmospheric 
medium  which  such  light  penetrates. 

If  we  are  to  believe  the  spirit's  revelations  regarding  stellar 
and  celestial  worlds,  it  is  evident  that  with  the  sun  and  its 
grand  plane,  we  must  be  contented  to  be  limited  and  our  am- 
bitious desire  for  "worlds  without  end"  ungratified;  for  our 
search  for  an  infinitude  of  suns  and  systems  would  result  in 
the  discovery  of  the  blank  void  where  the  sun  finds  no  atmos- 
pheric body  with  which  to  light  the  darkened  depth  of  un- 
known elements  where  nature  through  her  creative  forces  has 
not  yet  begun  her  work. 

While   it    is    impossible    for  us  to  conceive  of   a    limit 

to    space,    it  is   possible  for   us  to  conceive   that  the   great 

:  sun  is  in  itself  limited  to  a  certain  size  which  if  possible  could 


Il8  A   VOICE   FROM   THE    HEAVENS 

IDC  ascertained  in  square  miles,  cubic  feet  and  inches,  and  that 
a  planet — and  all  that  it  supports — has  certain  limits  and  meas* 
urements,and  that  a  group  of  planetsis  limited  to  certain  numbers 
sizes,  and  distances  apart,  and  that  the  universe  of  groups  and 
bodies  of  various  classses  and  sizes  are  limited  and  numerable 
if  the  human  mind  had  power  to  ascertain  the  number;  but 
here  we  must  stop;  for  human  vision  will  never  cross  the  dark 
blank  spaces  where  in  sublime  creation  may  dwell  another 
solar  plane  of  worlds,  and  when  the  mind  seeks  to  penetrate 
the  "unknown  and  unknowable"  blank  spaces  it  becomes  faint 
and  sick  in  its  whirl  of  contemplations.  We  are  willing  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  known  and  knowable,  and  with  our  human 
life  in  its  mortal  and  immortal  states  of  being — as  sufficient  for 
us  to  contemplate — in  all  that  belongs  to  us  through  nature's 
sacred  promises;  for  the  spirit  has  said,  the  universe  is  ours 
with  all  that  it  contains. 

The  philosophical  lessons  set  forth  in  this  volume,  I  now 
submit  to  the  thoughtful  reader  whom  I  trust  will  consider 
them  favorably  as  they  appeal  to  his  reasoning  mind  in  the 
force  of  truth,  and  who  will  not  condemn  them  because  of 
itheir  claims  to  spiritual  origin. 

THE    END. 


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